The Lake Bomoseen Association (LBA) has applied for a permit to allow for use of ProcellaCOR as part of a milfoil mitigation plan on Lake Bomoseen. The purpose of this petition is to prevent that – part of the process is approval by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and there are many reasons to prevent the introduction of harmful chemicals into Bomoseen.

Though approved for use by a number of bodies, ProcellaCOR is far from a completely safe chemical and doesn’t only affect milfoil. The treatment plan proposed by the LBA calls for 1/3 of the milfoil to be killed every year for three years, which would have a tremendously negative impact of the fish population regardless of the safety of the chemical used. As one of the best fisheries in New England, Bomoseen is far too special to experiment with.

It’s also important to note that SePRO Corporation is the last thing from a neutral manufacturer of a solution. The company has a vested interest in using herbicides as much as possible to make money. Plus, the one-time CEO of SePro, Bill Culpepper, has been fighting for looser regulations on chemicals for years and isn’t above spending shady money to influence policy.

Currently, Bomoseen has a lot going for it, and no problems too big to be solved without chemicals. Various mechanical means of harvesting milfoil are available and successful in other lakes, and the layout of Bomoseen is such that truly overwhelming infestations are impossible. Because of the depth and rocky shoreline, there are many parts of the lake that will remain totally grass-free. Moreover, even with the amount of milfoil in the lake now, it is easy to boat on, very swimmable with multiple public beaches and has excellent populations of fish and wildlife that are valued by many.