Vermont lags behind in cleanup of weeds and algae in Lake Champlain.

HIGHGATE SPRINGS, Vt. (AP) – Quebec officials have devised a plan for beginning the cleanup of Missisiquoi on Lake Champlain, but action in Vermont has lagged.

Missisquoi Bay, the northeastern thumb of Lake Champlain, is sliced by the U.S.-Canadian border. The bay is choked by weeds and besieged by toxic blue-green algae blooms that bring with them human health threats.

A slick of pea-soupish algae scum washes up on shore, coating moored boats. In past summers, dogs have died after swimming in the bay’s foul water.

“It’s alarming,” said Doug Flack, who guides guests on canoe ventures on the bay from Tyler Place resort in Highgate Springs, “and getting worse.”

Quebec Environment Minister Thomas Mulcair called the bay an “ecological catastrophe” on Friday and pledged that his province would do its part to clean up the mess. By contrast, Vermont’s response this summer has been much more subdued.

“I’m glad our northern neighbors have taken the lead on this,” Flack said. “It’s nice to see somebody finally lighting a fire.”

Quebec and Vermont share Missisquoi Bay. Both sides agree an excess of phosphorus – mostly from farm fertilizer run-off and sewage treatment plants – feeds the algae blooms. However, the two sides treat the bay’s water quality problems quite differently.

Quebec health officials have placed posters warning beach-goers to avoid all contact with water at certain places. The blue-green algae blooms on the Canadian side of the border, say Quebec officials, have been found to contain toxic levels of cyanobacteria that cause vomiting, diarrhea and skin reactions.

Campgrounds along the bay have faded into ghost towns this summer. Quebec residents are warned that fish caught in Missisquoi Bay should not be eaten.

Friday, Mulcair announced a plan to help clean up Missisquoi Bay.

In Vermont, the Lake Champlain Committee and researchers from the University of Vermont are working together on a water sampling project. The Vermont Health Department earlier this month issued an advisory against swimming in water where blue-green algae blooms.

A blue-green bloom exploded on the Vermont side last week, but Vermont health officials have yet to say if it was the toxic type.

“Frankly, I’m very disappointed with the response from Montpelier about Missisquoi Bay,” said Al Bombardier, who owns a summer camp in West Swanton. “I’m very impressed by the leadership shown by the Canadian officials, and it’s important that our leaders start to play a more active part in recognizing an impending environmental disaster.”

Bombardier is one of a number of Vermonters who believe the Vermont Route 78 bridge between West Swanton and Alburg has contributed to Missisquoi Bay’s woes. The bridge sits at the southern neck of the bay. Some say it acts like a dam, shutting off the natural flow of clean water into the bay from the main lake. Vermont plans to leave the causeway when it replaces to protect habitat of the rare eastern spiny soft-shelled turtle.

Mulcair said the causeway should be reconsidered.

“I don’t think we should use turtles as a convenient pretext for not cleaning up the bay,” he said.

Mulcair promised Quebec would take care of its end of Missisquoi Bay before telling Vermont what to do.

Elizabeth McLain, secretary of Vermont’s Natural Resources Agency, said she wants to work with Quebec officials, but offered no specific water quality improvement projects.

“If the minister’s proposal can make the bay cleaner faster, I’ll be his No. 1 fan,” McLain said.

AP-ES-08-17-03 1834EDT

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