LAKE GEORGE – As of right now, New York state is about to begin using a controversial herbicide to kill milfoil in Lake George. Depending on who you ask, that would either be a miracle cure for the underwater nuisance or else a disastrous catastrophe that could impact the lives and livelihoods of residents for generations to come.

Kolleen Knight is a fifth generation of her family who lives along the pristine shorelines of Lake George. She believes introducing the herbicide ProcellaCOR into the lake, which is a source of drinking water, for thousands of people, is tantamount to murder.

“This is our home, and we’re going off half-cocked,” Knight decried during a public hearing Tuesday afternoon before the Lake George Park Commission. “You’re not listening because you already voted. To us, the people who live here, we the people are not being represented.”

Dozens of Lake George area residents packed the commission meeting to express concerns about and opposition to use ProcellaCOR. Before the meeting, the Lake George Association presented a letter to the commissioners, offering to pay the full cost of hand-harvesting in the two bays where the state wants to apply ProcellaCOR this summer.

The commission rejected LGA’s proposal.

“We understand that people can be concerned especially with an aquatic herbicide into a body of water like Lake George,” said Dave Wick, executive director of the LGPC. “We’re following up on several years of other lakes throughout the northeast and country that have used this product safely and efficiently with no negative impacts, ecological or public health impacts.”

Peter Menzies, executive director of the Lake George Association (LGA), the oldest lake protection organization in the country, says he’s not convinced concerns of his members aren’t falling on deaf ears.

“We’re not being heard,” Menzies asserted. “Our points are very rational, based on science, are being ignored. That is what’s at stake. It’s a bad process.”

At this point, there are two possible scenarios that could prevent ProcellaCOR applications. Either Gov. Kathy Hochul could step in and stop it or the commission could take a revote.

It’s not clear if either of those options will take place.