Long Island Pesticide Pollution Prevention Strategy
DEC released the Long Island Pesticide Pollution Prevention Strategy (Strategy) (PDF, 2.14 MB) on July 11, 2014. The Strategy contains a blueprint for applying a Pesticide P2 (Pollution Prevention) approach on Long Island. The overall goal of the Strategy is to protect water quality from pesticide-related impacts while continuing to achieve pest management on Long Island.
The Pesticide P2 blueprint and a summary of other elements of the Strategy are found in the Executive Summary (PDF, 207 KB).
View the DEC's YouTube video about the Strategy here: https://youtu.be/4JL6n5HM0f8
Additional Information on the Strategy
- Overview of the Long Island Strategy
- Technical Review and Advisory Committee (TRAC) Meetings
- Stakeholder Meetings
- Reference Materials
To receive updates email LongIslandStrategy@dec.ny.gov or call (518) 402-8768 and request to be added to our email list in DEC Delivers.
Overview of the Long Island Strategy
Two-Pronged Goal:
- Prevent adverse effects to human health and the environment by protecting Long Island's groundwater and surface water resources from pesticide-related contamination.
- Continue to meet pest management needs of agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors.
First Step in the Implementation Process:
The Strategy began with and continues to focus first on three active ingredients - atrazine, imidacloprid, and metalaxyl.
- Atrazine - Commonly used on sweet corn crops and found in Aatrex 4L.
- Imidacloprid - Commonly used in landscapes, turf, greenhouses, and various vegetable crops. Found in several products including: Merit, Pasada, and Admire Pro.
- Metalaxyl/Mefenoxam - Commonly used in greenhouses and nurseries along with various vegetable crops. Found in numerous products including: Ridomil, Ariel, and Subdue Maxx.
Focus includes promoting best management practices when using products containing these active ingredients, and also monitoring groundwater for the presence of these active ingredients. Best management practices are addressed in the High Priority Active Ingredient Factsheets.
Collecting a groundwater sample
Groundwater Monitoring
Groundwater samples will continue to be collected annually from over 200 monitoring wells to evaluate the occurrence of pesticides in Long Island groundwater. The program is a joint effort between the Department, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, the Nassau County Health Department, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Suffolk County Monitoring Results (PDF, 4.12 MB) are available, as well as a map of monitoring well locations (PDF, 570 KB).
Second Step in the Implementation Process:
The next group of active ingredients of focus are dichlobenil, propiconazole and simazine.
- Dichlobenil - Herbicide commonly used on woody ornamentals, fruit & nut orchards/nurseries, non-crop areas and for sewer root control.
- Propiconazole - Fungicide commonly used on agricultural crops, turgrass and ornamentals.
- Simazine - Herbicide commonly used on turfgrass, Christmas trees and agricultural crops.
Technical Review and Advisory Committee (TRAC) Meetings
The Technical Review and Advisory Committee (TRAC) is a diverse group including state and local agencies, public service and academic entities. DEC convenes the TRAC to advise the Department on factors such as pesticide use patterns, aquifer vulnerability, human health risks, recommended alternatives, and pollution prevention measures.
TRAC meetings were held in October 2014, February 2015 and March 2017. Meeting summaries and presentations given at the meetings are available by emailing LongIslandStrategy@dec.ny.gov
Stakeholder Meetings
The Strategy recognizes that external stakeholders, such as Cornell Cooperative Extension, certified applicators and their associations, product registrants, and public interest groups, have much of the expertise for identifying alternatives. It is these stakeholders who must encourage the use of safer alternatives by getting information out to the largest number of pesticide users.
Stakeholder meetings were held in June 2015 and March 2019. Please email LongIslandStrategy@dec.ny.gov if you would like copies of the summaries or presentations from the meetings.
Reference Materials
Active Ingredient Data Packages
High Priority Active Ingredient Factsheets
Developed in cooperation with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. Each factsheet summarizes practical best management practices, alternative active ingredients, and integrated pest management (IPM) practices for atrazine, imidacloprid, and metalaxyl/mefenoxam.
- Atrazine
Atrazine: Reducing Risks to Groundwater from Use in Sweet Corn (PDF, 8.39 MB)
- Imidacloprid
Imidacloprid: Reducing Risks to Groundwater from Commercial Turf Uses (PDF, 1.15 MB) - Imidacloprid: Reducing Risks to Groundwater from Agricultural Uses: Potatoes (PDF, 1.17 MB)
- Imidacloprid: Reducing Risks to Groundwater from Commercial Landscape Tree and Shrub Uses (PDF,1.28 MB)
- Imidacloprid: Reducing Risks to Groundwater from Commercial Greenhouse Production Uses (PDF, 1.15 MB)
- Imidacloprid: Reducing Risks to Groundwater from Agricultural Uses: Fruiting Vegetables (PDF, 390 KB)
- Imidacloprid: Reducing Risks to Groundwater from Agricultural Uses: Cucurbit (Vine) Crops (PDF, 390 KB)
- Mefenoxam
Mefenoxam: Reducing Risks to Groundwater from Nursery Uses (PDF, 404 KB)
Mefenoxam: Reducing Risks to Groundwater from Field Use to Potato & Tomato Crops (PDF, 2.59 MB)
Mefenoxam: Reducing Risks to Groundwater from Greenhouse Uses (PDF, 790 KB)
Other Pesticide P2 Measures
- Separate from the Strategy, a brief description of existing and past pesticide pollution prevention measures taken by DEC and local and regional entities on Long Island can be found in this supplemental information (PDF, 696 KB).
