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Solitude Lake Management seeks renewal to treat Early Village Drive pond; commissioners continue NOI to Jan. 15
Summary
A consultant for Solitude Lake Management asked the Conservation Commission to renew an expired order of conditions to manage a 1‑acre pond at Early Village Drive using registered herbicides and algaecides; commissioners asked about downstream impacts and dissolved‑oxygen testing and voted to continue the notice of intent to Jan. 15.
Dominic Maringolo, project manager with Solitude Lake Management, told the Conservation Commission the notice of intent seeks to renew a previously issued order of conditions for a roughly 1‑acre man‑made pond at Early Village Drive. Maringolo said the management program monitors ponds monthly from April through September and, when plant or algae growth becomes excessive, "we selectively treat the plants with aquatic herbicides and algaecides that are registered" with the U.S. EPA, MassDEP and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. He said licensed applicators and a MassDEP permit listing products and quantities would be used.
Commissioners asked what chemicals are used, whether treatments affect wildlife and whether any testing occurs. Maringolo said Massachusetts subjects products to additional state review, that approved products are not intended to harm fish or wildlife, and that dissolved‑oxygen measurements are taken before treatment. He identified flumioxazin (for submersed plants), copper algaecides for algae and glyphosate for certain emergent vegetation or water lilies as among the types of products listed in the NOI. "The products... can't have any effect on, the wild fish and any kind of wildlife that would use the pond," he said.
Commissioners also discussed overflow and downstream connectivity; Maringolo acknowledged high‑water overflow to Fox Brook, which flows to the Blackstone River, and said the company avoids applying products near the pond outlet or during high‑water conditions and relies on dilution to reduce concentrations downstream. He said a common dissolved‑oxygen threshold for safe application is about 5 mg/L, and the company will not apply chemicals under low‑oxygen conditions.
After discussion the commission voted to continue the notice of intent to Jan. 15 at 6:00 PM to allow any outstanding paperwork to be filed and reviewed; the motion passed with recorded 'aye' votes.
Next step: the NOI will return to the commission on Jan. 15 with any additional documentation the commission or MassDEP requires.
