Published: April 25, 2008 08:28 am         

Annual water testing a must

Bernie Banas, the Leatherstocking Golf Course Greens Superintendent, said concerns about chemical pesticide use on the course come up on an almost annual basis, as they did again Monday night in the village board meeting.

Long-time lake advocate Michael Whaling expressed his ongoing concerns about the spraying on the course, which, in part, borders the lake. The chemicals kill weeds, fungus and insects, and can also be toxic to humans, fish and other wildlife.

The village tests lake water every three years as required by the Department of Health, but the tests are done in March or April before spraying begins in earnest on the course.

According to Whaling, one DEC official said it was ``a great time to test for pesticides if you don’t want to find them.’’

The tests have not indicated the presence of turf management chemicals in the lake water. Whaling would like to see the water tested more frequently and later in the year.

``Cooperstown is the headwaters village of the Susquehanna River. It’s not just a location, but a position — and with that position comes a downstream responsibility,’’ he said while recommending additional testing be done. On Tuesday, Otesaga Hotel General Manager John Irvin held a press briefing to address some of the comments made by Whaling.

``We feel the hotel and the Leatherstocking Golf Course are good stewards of the environment,’’ he said.

Irvin said there are two registered pesticide applicators on staff, and that they have worked to minimize the possibility of contamination of the lake from the chemical pesticides. Irvin invited Dr. Theodore Peters to sit in on the briefing to discuss tests he took on behalf of Leatherstocking Corporation in 2001. Those samples were taken in April and August and found no detectable levels of chemicals.

Peters commented that a greater risk to the lake may come from chemicals sprayed on lawns near the lakeshore.

Dan Spooner, Director of Golf at the Otesaga, said they have been discussing the possibility of testing the lake water on an annual basis to ``dispel rumors.’’

We believe annual testing is a good idea. According to reports on pesticide use at the golf course obtained by Whaling from the DEC, in 2006 more than 1,600 pounds and 137.1 gallons of 23 different pesticides were applied.

That level of pesticide use in close proximity to the lake warrants annual testing.

While we would like to see a significant reduction in the amount of chemical pesticides used on the course, at a very minimum, it seems appropriate to us that the course management should conduct that testing to reassure residents that they are the ``good stewards of the environment’’ they claim to be.