Water Quality Monitoring for Pesticides in Upstate New York
Tammo S. Steenhuis,* Professor
Brian K. Richards,* Senior Research Associate
Steven Pacenka, Water Specialist
*Principal Investigators
- STATEMENT OF WORK - Background and approach
… Of particular interest are areas where significant pesticide use (agricultural and otherwise) coincides with shallow aquifers, presenting elevated contamination risks in contrast to areas with low pesticide use and/or less vulnerable water resources. Findings of good water quality in these areas thus provides strong presumptive evidence that quality is other areas (of lesser user and/or less vulnerable groundwater configurations) will also be good.
As detailed below, Cornell University has throughout our research program used a landowner confidentiality approach where public reporting of data involves general but not specifically georeferenced results. Landowners receive confidential reports for their wells, but are not identified in any public reporting. This measure was taken in part as an incentive to attract landowner cooperation which would enhance the weight of project findings by maximizing sampling of sites deemed most vulnerable…
Task 1
1.1 Cornell will use the latest five years of pesticide sales and use records (PSUR) data summarized by or for the Department, and other data as available and appropriate, to determine the amount and intensity (amount/area) of pesticide active ingredient sales and usage in each County and zip code in New York State over that five-year period. Cornell will evaluate and summarize this information and include statewide maps of pesticide intensity depicted by zip code and County. Cornell will also evaluate the likelihood of individual active ingredients migrating to and persisting in groundwater and provide additional estimates of pesticide intensities that account for these characteristics. Cornell will compile, summarize and map the five-year intensity data annually. Cornell will perform this annual evaluation for the aggregate of all active ingredients reported and up to six individual active ingredients selected by the Department. Cornell will also identify primary and principal aquifers and other aquifers throughout the state that may be vulnerable to contamination from pesticides.
1.2 Cornell will identify five areas with a combination of high pesticide use and sales intensity and high aquifer vulnerability and one area of high pesticide intensity and low aquifer vulnerability (to test the validity of our determinations of groundwater vulnerability). The geographic coverage will be all of New York, omitting Long Island and New York City. Candidate areas identified will be reviewed with DEC for confirmation, as will all subsequent sampling locations.
Task 2
Cornell will design and conduct a pesticide monitoring program consisting of three strata, via 96 monitored wells sampled annually or semi-annually, and lakes sampled annually:
2.1 Assess long-term trends in pesticide detections. Monitor groundwater once annually at 24 wells spread across the six intensity/vulnerability areas of 1.2. The wells will be selected from the NYSDEC Water Well Program database to the extent that such wells represent probable upgradient pesticide uses and the region’s pattern of ground water extraction (such as deep rock wells or shallow wells in principal aquifers). While it is desirable to have four wells in each of the six areas, if four appropriate monitoring wells cannot be located within each of the six areas, then Cornell will identify and substitute wells in other geographic areas of similar intensity/vulnerability. Wells already included in Cornell’s past monitoring agreements would be evaluated as candidates, especially given an earlier history of sampling and analysis. These wells are intended to be sampled once per year for several years. Final well selection is subject to Department approval.
The analytical schedule would be broad and the wells representative of multiple pesticide uses upgradient.
2.2 Assess leaching losses from focused pesticide user categories. This would conduct groundwater sampling in the vicinity of 3 of each of the following types of facilities or operations:
Greenhouses
Vineyards
Vegetable or Fruit Crops
Golf Courses
Sod Farms
Outdoor Nurseries
Residential or institutional turf
Public Utility Rights of Way
Field Crops*
*although herbicide leaching from these areas is generally well-known, this category may warrant inclusion if and when it is deemed needful to monitor recently-approved active ingredients.
Higher priority for selecting facilities and sampling locations will be given to those located in areas of greater pesticide intensity and aquifer vulnerability as determined from subtask Task 1.2. However, other locations may be eligible if they provide representative close-up views of nearby ground water effects of an individual facility. For example, a suitable facility may be in a public water supply service area.
Sample and analyze groundwater at 3 wells in the vicinity of each of these facilities or operations twice each calendar year. One well will be located upgradient and 2 wells will be located downgradient of each facility. The sites chosen should have known ground water flow directions, and a relatively shallow water table so that there is not a several-year time lag between pesticide release onto land and its appearance in monitor wells.
The analytical schedule would be tailored narrowly to the category of pesticide user, so as to reduce analytical costs. If the pesticide user allows, earlier and recent pesticide use records would be consulted to refine the analytical schedule
This is intended to detect ordinary emissions from label-compatible practices. This can include minor emissions from mixing, loading, and storage activities as well as outdoor uses. It is essential to have close cooperation with the pesticide user whose effects would be monitored. They should not behave differently than usual because of being monitored. They should be willing to share with Cornell their prior and current pesticide use schedules (using the log they maintain for DEC inspectors). They should report types and locations of spills (as required by State law) and also notify Cornell so that monitoring results can be interpreted differently from ordinary emissions.
For recruitment of categorical sites, Cornell will identify potential sites via mapping and networking, including: - Mapping of agricultural land uses to assist with vineyards, vegetable/fruit crops, and sod farms (e.g. USDA NASS CropScape https://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/CropScape/. - Industry or regulatory directories as a resource for golf courses, public utility rights-of-way (NYS public service commission for natural gas and electric transmission). - Boards of directors of agricultural organizations: Vegetable Growers, NYS Turfgrass Association, NYS Wine Grape Growers, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, NY Chapter. - Cornell programs, such as Cornell Controlled Environment Agriculture and Cornell Horticulture (turfgrass, sod farms, golf courses).
2.3. Monitor four natural lakes or impoundments located in areas of surrounding land uses that differ from one lake to another and preferably in the vicinity of the types of facilities or operations mentioned in 2.2 where pesticides are applied. Water bodies will be selected based on availability and final selection shall be subject to approval by the Department. Samples will be collected and analyzed once each calendar year. The samplers will follow the well-practiced CSLAP sampling protocol for depth-specific sampling from boats, preferably by citizen volunteers in constituent lake associations of CSLAP. Two samples per lake will be collected – one nearest the lake outlet and the other nearest the source of pesticides entering the lake through runoff or near the lake inlet. Samples will be collected after one summer storm event (opportunistic) as soon as safely possible.
This will be coordinated with the Division of Water and lakes will be recruited via the New York Federation of Lake Associations. Two FOLA board members participated in earlier lake sampling for pesticides. Earlier protocols worked fairly well with Cornell providing supplies and directions, volunteers collecting and freezing samples, and volunteers shipping them to Cornell for eventual relaying to the DEC lab.
2.4 Sampling and sample processing methods: Monitor wells, as distinct from water supply wells, will require a peristaltic or submersible pump with appropriate hoses. Water supply wells will be sampled using their own pumps, usually drawing from an outdoor tap or other location where there has been no water treatment (such as softening or disinfection). Quality assurance procedures including equipment cleaning between samples, container handling, and periodic field blanks will be applied consistently with the provisions of the QAPP described in Task 6.
Landowner cooperation is essential to obtain access to the most representative sites, and the previously-developed confidentiality/disclosure protocol will be followed, which has the following provisions:
☐ In all public reporting (published reports and data uploads to DEC as well as any academic or extension publications), only blurred georeferences – such as rounded coordinates – will be reported for sites having confidentiality restrictions.
☐ In all cases, reports indicating pesticide concentrations determined by Cornell and NYS DEC will be sent to individual landowners where wells were sampled.
☐ In the event that pesticide concentrations exceeding drinking water standards are found, the landowner would be contacted and the well would be resampled to confirm the initial findings. If confirmed by resampling, the local cooperator would be advised. The local cooperator would notify relevant county agencies (most likely the Department of Health) to safeguard the health of those consuming water from the well(s) by taking appropriate remedial and/or preventative measures.
☐ In cases where levels are somewhat elevated but not in excess of drinking water standards, landowners will be encouraged to contact relevant agencies (such as DOH or Agricultural Environmental Management) for appropriate remedial and/or preventative measures.
☐ Cornell will retain a list of all landowner contact information and exact well locations that will be disclosed only to NYS DEC upon reasonable request from NYS DEC.
Note that sites on public land, monitor wells and surface water sampling sites are usually not subject to the above confidentiality constraints; lake sampling results are likely non-confidential.
Brief regular updates and an annual report (as requested by DEC project management) will be submitted to NYS DEC, with the annual report and any academic publications first made available to the Local Cooperator(s) for comment. Reports will clearly denote that sampling locations were selected to represent the most vulnerable sites; as such, results would indicate the upper limit of expected contamination (with concentrations in non-vulnerable areas presumably lower), but would not be representative of a wider random (non-targeted) survey.
Task 3
In the event there is an insufficient number of wells appropriately located to accomplish the goals of the monitoring program (tasks 2.1 and 2.2), Cornell will establish a relationship with appropriate landowner(s) who will allow installation of monitoring wells. Cornell will arrange to install up to 48 monitor wells. The number of wells will be based on availability of appropriate locations and selected in consultation with the Department. Each installed monitoring well shall have a stratigraphic log.
Task 4
Cornell will provide to the respective property owners free, confidential pesticide analytical results of all water samples collected on their property. Cornell will use coded results for anonymous reporting to the Department.
Task 5
Cornell will send samples to the NYS DEC Division of Air Laboratory following preservation and shipment guidance from that Lab. Samples will be held frozen by Cornell until the lab indicates it is ready to receive them. Analyte lists will be customized to groups of analytes that are germane to groups of samples. The number of different analyte lists will be negotiated with the lab in consideration of tracking and preparation complexity and the marginal costs of extra groups of analytes. Cornell is responsible for submission of sample characteristics.
The annual workload is 176 collected samples plus quality assurance samples including field blanks, duplicates, and spiked duplicates.
Task 6
Cornell shall provide to the Department a written Quality Assurance Project Plan that outlines the procedures that those who conduct the monitoring projects will take to ensure that the samples and corresponding data they collect and analyze meets project requirements. These procedures shall include how samples are collected, preserved, and analyzed so as to ensure that data are sufficiently accurate, precise, complete, representative, and useable for their intended purpose.
Task 7
Once sufficient data has been generated, Cornell will review detections and provide a written report which includes all results and appropriate trend analysis to the Department at least annually. Site characterizations, sample descriptions, analytical data, and quality assurance data will also be submitted to DEC’s EQUIS no more than one year after the analytical laboratory has returned the last results to contractor. A cumulative results-to-date report will be prepared at the end of Year 2.
Task 8
Cornell will provide quarterly reports on all activities pertaining to this contract, which will include, but are not limited to, sampling results, investigation field work, report preparation, problems encountered and plans to address them, and any other relevant activities conducted during that period. Cornell will provide annual reports with data summaries, trend analyses and observations for each type of facility or operation and for the long-term trend monitoring program, and recommendations, covering all activities relating to this contract. Invoicing for payment will be in accordance with the direction of DEC’s Division of Management and Budget Services.
Cornell’s land grant mission also dictates that we provide overviews of our research and findings via extension and other stakeholder-interest mechanisms, including at least annual updates (after DEC approval of annual reporting) to our website dedicated to this program.
http://soilandwater.bee.cornell.edu/Research/pesticides/index.html [editor note: in 2023 website is replaced by https://soilandwaterlab.cornell.edu/]
- PROJECT TERM
The term of this Project MOU shall be from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022.The Project MOU may be amended and/or extended for a maximum of three one-year periods upon the mutual written consent of both parties.
A project term may not exceed five years. In addition, a project term may not extend more than three years beyond the term of the Master Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing three-year limitation, the parties may enter into a Project MOU with a term extending beyond the three-year limitation as long as the parties agree in writing to transfer this Project MOU to an extended or new Master Agreement. After such transfer, the Project MOU will be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the extended or new Master Agreement. If the parties fail to so transfer this Project MOU, or if there is no extended or new Master Agreement, this Project MOU will expire on the date that is three years after the expiration date of the Master Agreement.