June 16, 2021| Environment
By: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is providing this information to the Lake Hopatcong Community and visitors, as a reminder of the Department’s Regulations pertaining to any aquatic product application to Lake Hopatcong. Such products include but are not limited to pesticides, dyes, bacteria, enzymes, biological agents, and metals. NJDEP regulates the use of these products through specific laws, licensing, permits, and product registrations. These applications are approved through permits issued by the NJDEP, Bureau of Pesticide Compliance, and Bureau of Surface Water Discharge and Pre-Treatment. The type of permit(s) required is dependent on the product being used. The New Jersey Water Pollution Control Act prohibits the discharge of any pollutant except when done in accordance with a New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) Permit.
Lake Hopatcong is a NJDEP owned waterbody and receives aquatic pesticide applications for the control of nuisance aquatic vegetation and algae. All pesticides labeled for aquatic use in New Jersey are classified as “Restricted Use”, and the use is regulated by both State and Federal governments. In New Jersey, aquatic pesticide applications must be performed by a licensed Pesticide Applicator Business and Commercial Pesticide Applicator, certified in the category of aquatic pest control.
The Department is aware that the potential exists for homeowners and visitors on Lake Hopatcong, to apply certain products to the water of Lake Hopatcong to help remove or control aquatic vegetation, muck, organics, turbidity, and odors. Numerous products are available and advertise on the product label for aquatic use, and they are available to the public for purchase either over the counter or online. Although some of these products may contain natural, organic, and biological ingredients, or be considered a “general use pesticide”, the use of these products is illegal and NOT allowed to be applied to the water of Lake Hopatcong, and DO NOT exempt the user from obtaining the proper licensing and permit(s) from the Department. In addition, there is a potential for these applications to pose a threat to the ecosystem by disrupting natural occurring biota if not applied properly and professionally. One should not assume that because a product is available for purchase by the public, and is labeled as natural, organic, or biological that it is legal to use.
The unauthorized use of aquatic products, without first obtaining the proper licensing and permit(s) is a violation of NJDEP Regulations. Persons making such applications are subject to Enforcement Action.
To access the Compliance Advisory, titled Treatment and Applications at New Jersey Aquatic Sites, which was posted to the DEP website on March 23, 2021, please use the following link: https://www.nj.gov/dep/enforcement/advisories/2021-04.pdf
For further information contact:
Bureau of Surface Water and Pretreatment Permitting (609) 292-4860 pesticidegp@dep.nj.gov
Bureau of Pesticide Compliance and Enforcement (609) 984-6568 pcp@dep.nj.gov
