U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) on Tuesday applauded the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval of the use of liquid potash to eradicate zebra mussels from two Minnesota lakes.
Paulsen recently had sent a letter to the EPA requesting an exemption for the use of liquid potash.
“The EPA’s responsiveness in approving an exemption for liquid potash will make a difference in keeping Christmas Lake free of invasive species so that families can enjoy its waters for years to come,” Paulsen said.
Christmas Lake will be the second in the country to serve as a testing ground for using liquid potash, or potassium chloride, to fight the spread of the invasive zebra mussels, a story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. Crews will drill holes through the frozen lake to treat it with the pesticide.
The EPA also approved the use of the liquid potash in Minnesota’s Lake Independence, but treatment of that lake will wait until spring.
Zebra mussels reproduce at a prolific rate and are known to grow so dense that they block pipelines and clog water intakes. They are also believed to be the source of a botulism that has killed tens of thousands of birds in the Great Lakes area since the 1990s.