Published: April 25, 2008 08:07 am         

Golf club pesticide rift rages

By JIM AUSTIN
Cooperstown Crier

Long-time lake advocate Michael Whaling told the board of trustees Monday that he has ongoing concerns about chemical pesticide use at the Leatherstocking Golf Course and their potential to contaminate the lake.

``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.

But the use of chemical pesticides at the Leatherstocking Golf Course comes up on an almost annual basis, Greens Superintendent Bernie Banas said Tuesday afternoon during a press briefing in the office of Otesaga Hotel General Manager John Irvin. Irvin, who did not attend the trustees’ meeting, held the briefing in response to comments made by Whaling and Andy Mason Monday night.

Whaling expressed his concerns about the use of chemical pesticides on the 120-acre course, which, in part, borders Otsego Lake. The water testing that the village is required to do every three years by the Department of Health because the lake is a drinking water source is not adequate, he said.

The tests, which have not indicated the presence of turf management chemicals in the lake water, have been done in March or April. According to Whaling, one DEC official said it was ``a great time to test for pesticides if you don’t want to find them.’’

Whaling told the board of trustees the testing should be done later in the year while the chemicals are in use.

He and Mason obtained a list of the chemicals used on the Golf Course from the DEC, which requires licensed applicators and strict recordkeeping to use the products.

The records indicate the golf course applied 1,616 pounds and 137.1 gallons of 23 different pesticides during 2006 — some of which are listed as having acute toxicity.

``These are not benign materials,’’ Mason said. ``They have potential health and environmental negative impacts. I think they (the golf course) have reduced usage and commend them for that, but there is still more that could be done.’’

Pine Boulevard resident Sam Wilcox told the board he, too, had concerns about pesticide use in the village. Lawns are sprayed and little flags go up that say stay away for 72 hours, he said.

Wilcox said he doesn’t know enough about the chemicals to know if he should be worried, but wants to be assured that residents and their children and grandchildren aren’t endangered by them.

Tuesday afternoon, Irvin said he wanted to clear up some things said in the village board meeting the night before.

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

. There are two registered pesticide applicators at the golf course that go to school annually at some expense to the hotel, he said.

. The DEC requires ongoing training in order for applicators to maintain their certification.

. Irvin also said he took exception to Whaling’s comment that Irvin did not respond to a letter and produced copies of correspondence. When asked about a letter Whaling wrote in November, Irvin said he did not respond because Whaling did not specifically request a response, he just stated how he felt about something.

. According to Irvin, in 2001, Leatherstocking Corporation asked Dr. Theodore Peters, a long-time member of both the village water and sewer boards, to test lake water for the presence of chemicals.

. Peters, who attended the press briefing, said samples were taken in May and August in Blackbird Bay and at the village water intake. Blackbird Bay was selected as a test site because of its close proximity to three holes on the golf course.

. ``We found nothing,’’ he said, adding that nothing had shown up in tests in the last 25 years.

. Banas, who has been a certified pesticide applicator for 22 years, said they have created a buffer zone on the golf course along the shore in an effort to prevent any runoff from reaching the water.

. ``We have a no-spray zone 25 feet from the edge of the lake,’’ he said. ``If you compare us to some of the highend golf courses, we’re more tolerant. They don’t want to see a dandelion out there.’’ Peters said the lawns around the lake may pose a greater risk to the lake.

. ``We go to classes. We’re educated. We’re handling this safer than the average homeowner,’’ Banas said. He said he could not confirm the 1,600 pounds of pesticide without checking records.

. It may sound like a lot, but it is spread out over 120 acres, Banas said. ``We purchase and use the safest products out there,’’ he said. ``We are doing everything humanly possible to minimize the risk.’’

. Banas said they have used some organic fertilizers on the course, but have not tried any of the pesticides developed in recent years for use in organic agriculture.

. Irvin handed out spiral bound notebooks of material safety data sheets for the pesticides used on the course. The cover sheet touts the efforts to ``protect and safeguard our environment.’’

. It also mentions the certification the course received as a member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary — a program run by Audubon International. It is some times confused with the National Audubon Society, as demonstrated on the same cover sheet which describes the ``exclusive recognition by the Audubon Society.’’

. Banas said he was aware the golf certification was not from the Audubon Society and their handout was in error. Dan Spooner, Director of Golf at the Otesaga, said they have been discussing testing the lake water on annual basis to ``dispel rumors.’’

. Annual testing would address the concerns of Whaling and Mason, who asked the village board to change the testing schedule.

. Having the golf course marginally greener at the cost of potential health risks is not worth it, Mason said.

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