Marrone's invasive species control system approved by four northeastern states

Date:03-21-2013

Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. has received Certificates of Pesticide Registration from New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Vermont for a biopesticide product designed to control invasive quagga and zebra mussels at hydropower projects.

Marrone's product -- called "Zequanox" -- is composed of dead cells from naturally occurring microbes which the company said provide a level of efficacy comparable to chlorine and other chemical treatments. This makes Zequanox biodegradable, non-corrosive and non-volatile, Marrone said, and removes the need for detoxification before water discharge.

Zequanox is applied directly into a facility's water system using standard injection equipment, Marrone said, allowing it to be completed in hours by personnel wearing only minimal personal protective equipment. Likewise, it requires minimal permitting requirements and use reestrictions.

"Today, state and federal health and environmental regulatory agencies have policy objectives aimed at finding alternatives to chemicals to control invasive species without impacting the health of humans or surrounding ecosystems," said Keith Pitts, Marrone's vice president of regulatory affairs. "And in newly infested areas, such as Connecticut and Vermont, industries and regulators are being proactive and are trying to avoid the use of chemicals altogether."

The California-based company said mussel populations are now prevalent in major waterways throughout America's northeast, including the Hudson and Housatonic rivers and Lake Champlain. Once established, these mussels can have a significant impact on hydroelectric projects by impeding flow, damaging infrastructure and equipment.

Zequanox is currently registered in 19 states, though the company said additional states are pending.