You can read timely Consumer Reports articles in the new Lifestyles section...
ALBANY — Adirondack Park Agency regulators have proposed approving the use of an herbicide for the first time in a lake in the 6 million-acre park.
The agency's board on Thursday will consider its staff's recommendation for treating 11 acres of Lake Luzerne in the southern Adirondacks to kill Eurasian watermilfoil.
Most public comments have favored using the herbicide to get rid of the plant, agency spokesman Keith McKeever said.
"There's quite a bit of it, and it's clogging up the lake."
But environmentalists oppose the plan, saying the herbicide Triclopyr, used elsewhere, has killed other plants. They also questioned whether a proposed 275-foot sequestering barrier will protect the rest of the lake.
"Places we're seeing, like Saratoga Lake, it's killing all sorts of plants that shouldn't be eradicated at the same time," said John Sheehan, spokesman for the Adirondack Council.
The group requested a public hearing, said chemicals should be a last resort and urged the state regulators to review whether non-toxic alternatives were fully explored before granting a permit to the Town of Lake Luzerne to apply the chemical this spring.
An APA staff report said that after the 72-hour treatment with 1,560 pounds of the chemical, the Triclopyr concentrations in that area are expected to drop within two to three weeks to less than 50 parts per billion, below the state restriction for drinkable water.
An irrigation ban would remain in effect for at least 120 days or until concentrations fall below one part per billion.
The APA Board is to consider the effects on wetlands, the significance of the first-time use, the possible effect on protected plants and the staff recommendation for conditional approval.
The agency administers the Freshwater Wetlands Act within the park, where more than half the land is privately owned. The agency advises hand harvesting of nuisance plants and requires a permit for pesticide use or mechanical removal to clear large areas.
Raw Video: Israeli Embassy Car Attacked
Coroner: Don't Know Houston's Cause of Death Yet
Valentine Greetings Sent Worldwide From Loveland
Greek Austerity Measures Spark Riots
Raw Video: Obama Budget Goes to Capitol Hill
Arab League Wants U.N. Help in Syria
Nordic Festival Puts North Korea in Spotlight
'Rumor Has It' Adele's Rolling in the Grammys
Grohl, Grammy Nominees Cut Up on the Red Carpet
Greece Passes New Austerity Deal Amid Rioting
Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote
Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48
Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing
Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party
79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport
Fuel Removal Under Way on Capsized Italian Ship
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
