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Ballston Board backs state bill to allow targeted nutrient inactivants for lake management
Summary
The Town Board unanimously adopted Resolution 26-143 urging the New York Legislature to pass Assembly Bill A4514/Senate Bill S5936 to permit targeted, professional application of nutrient inactivants (e.g., alum) to reduce phosphorus and harmful algal blooms; the board directed the Town Clerk to send the resolution to state legislators and NYSFOLA.
At its June 30 meeting the Town Board of the Town of Ballston voted to support pending New York legislation that would create a DEC permit for targeted in‑lake nutrient inactivant applications aimed at reducing phosphorus and harmful algal blooms.
Resolution 26-143, adopted unanimously, states the board’s full support for Assembly Bill A4514 and Senate Bill S5936 and urges the New York State Senate and Assembly Environmental Conservation Committees to advance the bills to a full vote. The resolution specifically names alum (aluminum sulfate) and lanthanum‑modified clay as examples of nutrient inactivants that bind phosphorus and proposed that a regulated permitting pathway be established under the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC).
The resolution also directs the Town Clerk to transmit copies to Assemblywoman MaryBeth Walsh, Senator Jim Tedisco, and the New York State Federation of Lake Associations (NYSFOLA) to demonstrate local support. During public comment Dr. Pierce of Lake Road asked that the resolution include explicit language “to reduce excessive phosphorus level for lake management,” a wording the public commenter recommended be added to the resolution.
Why it matters: Excess phosphorus in freshwater systems can accelerate eutrophication and increase the frequency and severity of harmful algal blooms (HABs), which pose public‑health and ecological risks. The board framed the resolution as supporting a regulated, professional approach to in‑lake treatments rather than unrestricted use.
What happens next: The resolution calls on state legislators and DEC committees to advance the bills; it does not authorize any in‑lake treatment by the Town. The Town Clerk is authorized to send the resolution to the named legislators and NYSFOLA.
Quote: “The Town Board hereby fully supports the passage and enactment of Assembly Bill A4514 / Senate Bill S5936 to grant lake managers the necessary tools to combat phosphorus pollution,” the adopted resolution states.
Notes: The resolution mentions specific technologies (alum, lanthanum‑modified clay) and asks state committees to create a permitting framework; no local in‑lake treatment was authorized or funded at this meeting.
