By Katy Savage
Lake Bomoseen Association’s application to use herbicides on the lake is on hold in the wake of public outcry, and it will likely remain on hold until the end of the year.
The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) placed a technical hold on Lake Bomoseen Association’s (LBA) application to treat the lake with ProcellaCOR, an herbicide used to treat milfoil, in early June at the association’s request.
“We’re just giving the directors more time to sift through responses from the community,” interim LBA president Sam Drazin said. “It just means that it is sitting at the DEC. It’s not being reviewed and it’s not being pulled out at this time.”
The Lake Bomoseen Association held its annual meeting on Sunday, Aug. 14. Drazin said some at the meeting wanted a more definitive answer from the board about the future use of pesticides.
“It’s very hard to move forward in any direction if conversations are done in disrespectful or targeting ways,” Drazin said.
Drazin said the volunteer board is determining how to continue soliciting feedback from the community and will circle back with the state in December of January about the permit.
“We’re trying to figure out how to create fair and respectful opportunities for conversation, which I think has been one of the hardest pieces of this,” Drazin said.
Unlike other chemicals that are sprayed in the air, ProcellaCOR is injected below the surface of the water from the back of a boat. ProcellaCOR has been used in the state for the past three years and is now used on about 13 different lakes.
Oliver Pierson, the program manager of the lakes and ponds program at the DEC, said the Lake Bomoseen permit, submitted to the state in February, is the largest the DEC has received so far. It calls for treating about 200 acres of the lake per year over three years.
Limited data on the use of ProcellaCor shows it’s effective at targeting milfoil, but anecdotal evidence suggests it’s harmful to fish. The Castleton, Hubbardton and Fair Haven Select Boards all voted to oppose the permit. Pierson said he’s also received extensive feedback from the community about ProcellaCor. Though the state has never rejected a ProcellaCor permit, Pierson said the DEC would take community concerns into consideration.
The state has agreed to hold the application through the end of the calendar year.
“Hopefully, they’ll get back to us before that,” Pierson said, optimistically.
Meanwhile, Drazin is trying to bring the community together.
“Unfortunately it’s taken a life of its own and it’s taken a life of its own in not a very kind way,” Drazin said. “People always have differing opinions but how you express those opinions is going to create opportunities to work together or the opposite.”
RE the article The Lake Bomoseen Association held its annual meeting on Sunday, Aug. 14. Drazin said some at the meeting wanted a more definitive answer from the board about the future use of pesticides.
“It’s very hard to move forward in any direction if conversations are done in disrespectful or targeting ways,” Drazin said.
Drazin said the volunteer board is determining how to continue soliciting feedback from the community and will circle back with the state in December of January about the permit.
“We’re trying to figure out how to create fair and respectful opportunities for conversation, which I think has been one of the hardest pieces of this,” Drazin said.
Comment by Melinda Quinn Lake Bomoseen
Yes there is a great deal of frustration in the community toward the LBA and the LBPT right now and it appears that much of it has been self induced by the LBA board. The LBA and LBPT and specifically their board takes a position of authority re the lake. In most cases over the years they have tried to be helpful to the lake community and to all those who use the lake. Somehow they have lost their way over this herbicide issue.
The LBA’s application for a herbicide permit was sent to the State of VT without community agreement or notice. As you’ve heard, the fish and wildlife community have their reasons for feeling blind sided and angry by this action as do so many LBA members and other community residents who use the lake to swim and recreate.
The Community’s main concern is that there are no long term studies on the effects of ProcellaCOR. Many of us swim in the water all the time and our children swim in the lake. We do not want to risk our personal health and the safety of our families so that boats can have easier access into and out of the water. Also the reality is that some areas on the lakes have more weeds than others. In that case using mats or suction can be a helpful benign solution. (Also simply trimming you engine correctly over the weeds when ingressing and egressing your dock is effective.) I have a boat so I am familiar with the occasional “weeds on the prop” syndrome.
This lack of transparency by the LBA is at the core of the community’s frustration and anger. (Perhaps this lack of transparency is not intentional but the community notes it and resents it.) I know many wonderful people who are LBA members.
It’s important to remember that over 2667 people in our community signed the petition against the use of ProcellaCOR. Where is the empathy and respect from the LBA board over the community’s concerns about using herbicide in this precious resource so many of us live on and by and enjoy?
There was an LBA meeting last week and nothing was discussed about the permit, I have not seen any “community outreach”. New board members were selected by the board. We’ve seen nothing on their backround and position on using herbicide in the lake. So far the one person I have read about is aggressively supportive of the use of herbicide.
Again where is the transparency re the herbicide issue to the community? Where is the opportunity for those opposing herbicide to speak at the LBA meeting?
It appears that the LBA has access to funding in a variety of ways. Funding could be used to initiate more benign and non chemical milfoil control methods like mats and suctioning. Possibly the State could support more training and increase awareness on these alternative methods of controlling milfoil?
If there is a chance for cooperation between the LBA board and those in our community (and in the LBA) that are so strongly against the herbicide, perhaps organizing a committee with from both perspectives to foster a solution would be viable. There is an informal group on the lake called “Keep Lake Bomoseen Herbicide Free” and we certainly have several folks (some who are LBA members) who would be happy to work with an equal number of LBA folks toward a non chemical solution for controlling the spread of milfoil.
Respectfully
Melinda Quinn
I believe people have way more concerns then just “anecdotal evidence suggests it’s harmful to fish.” See peoples reasons why to be concerned at https://www.keeplakebomoseenherbicidefree.org/
https://www.change.org/p/keep-lake-bomoseen-chemical-free
The LBAboard of directors submitted a permit application for putting a toxic chemical into Lake Bomoseen without first surveying its own membership, never mind non member property owners or the local community. At the very least this was presumptuous, if not arrogant. They appear indignant that their forced “benevolence” has not been embraced nor appreciated by us small minded locals who cannot possibly have reasonable and valid concerns. What were they expecting? Holding tightly controlled Zoom presentations is not “creating respectful opportunities for conversation.” The only opportunity for respectful discussion of the issue was a professionally moderated information meeting hosted by the Castleton select board. It was a grievous error on the part of the LBA board to file an herbicide permit application without first engaging in public conversation and being transparent with their own membership regarding their intent. Rather than publicly admitting they “put the cart before the horse”, they have “doubled down” with their criticism and belittlement of anyone who has questioned the process, the LBA / LBPT organizations, and / or voiced concerns. As a result of the overwhelming distrust they have created, the only way “fair and respectful” conversations can take place is if the permit application is withdrawn.
“We’re just giving the directors more time to sift through responses from the community,” – Sam Drazin
Question: Just how much time does it take to read the results of four municipalities all voting unanimously against you? How much time does it take to analyze why the Town of Hubbardton, who was originally a co-applicant on the application to spray the lake with toxic chemicals, demanded that their name be removed from the application.
It’s clear beyond any doubt that the overwhelming majority of people do not want the LBA and/or the LBPT to spray Vermont’s last pristine lake. There is no crisis. In the VT Water Resources decision of 1996 they stated that Lake Bomoseen had 600 ac of milfoil. Twenty-six years later the LBA’s vendor’s study showed that we had 620. That’s only a 3% increase in over a quarter of a century.
The response from the community is, has been and always will be a resounding “NO”. Therefore, if Mr. Drazin is sincere when he says he wants to bring the community together then remove the threat hanging over our head. Withdraw this highly unpopular application, then and only then can we sit down and talk about the lake. As long as the LBA/LBPT continue to threaten the public with a bad idea, it’s going to be impossible to come together.
Mr. Drazin is driving the bus. He’s the only one who can heal the damage that he’s inflicted on the public.