In addition to the reference to RSA 482, there is this, under 485-A:15 -Penalties:
"I. It shall be unlawful for any person to put or place, or cause to be put or placed into a surface water of the state or on the ice over such waters, or on the banks of such waters, any solid waste as defined in RSA 149-M or hazardous waste as defined in RSA 147-A, including but not limited to bottles, glass, crockery, cans, scrap metal, junk, paper, garbage, tires, old automobiles or parts thereof, trees or parts thereof, or similar litter.
II. For any violation of this section any authorized member or agent of the department of environmental services shall order the immediate removal of material involved in the violation, by the person responsible for the material in question.
III. If the person or persons responsible for a violation of paragraph I refuse or fail to obey the order of any authorized member or agent of the department of environmental services, the department of environmental services or authorized member or agency may contract for the removal of the material in question and the cost of the removal shall be recoverable by the state in an action of debt brought by the attorney general in the name of the state.
IV. Any person who recklessly violates paragraph I shall be guilty of a misdemeanor if a natural person, or guilty of a felony if any other person.
V. Any person who purposely or knowingly violates paragraph I shall be guilty of a class B felony."
There also is this, under. 149-M:4 VI
"Disposal" means the discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking, or placing of any solid waste into or onto any land or water with the possible result that such solid waste or any constituent of it may enter the environment, be emitted into the air, or be discharged into any waters, including groundwater."
Twice within the last week, I have heard others telling me of having seen deliberate blowing of leaves into the lake, in both cases done by hired landscaper crews. I am sure that there is great temptation and cost-cutting incentive to blow into the lake when the landscaped portion of a property lacks adjacent wooded terrain onto which to blow the leaves. This is perhaps all the more likely to happen midweek in the fall, when there are fewer people around to observe and object or report.
It likely will take photographs or even cellphone videos for DES to take action. When action can be taken, I hope the state comes down hard on the offenders. In my mind, the economic penalty ought to be much more than the cost of remediation. I wonder if the state has a list of landscaper companies that get regular information from the state. If so, making it known to them that blowing of leaves into the lake by contractors' crews is getting noticed
might carry some weight.
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