April 25, 2008 08:28 am
—
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.
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