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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Mastrati, Gail (DEM) <gail.mastrati@dem.ri.gov>
<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, March 9, 2021 9:46 AM<br>
<b>Subject:</b> CONSUMER ADVISORY: DEM ALERTS PET SHOPS, FISH TANK OWNERS THAT THE INVASIVE ZEBRA MUSSEL MAY BE CONTAINED IN MOSS BALL AQUARIUM PRODUCTS SOLD IN RHODE ISLAND<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><img width="83" height="119" style="width:.8645in;height:1.2395in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.png@01D714C8.F64D8850" alt="DEM-logo-small"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;color:#00457A">Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#00457A">235 Promenade Street | Providence, RI 02908 | 401.222.4700 |</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">
</span><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">www.dem.ri.gov</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#00457A">| @RhodeIslandDEM</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0070C0"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT:
</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Gail Mastrati, 401-255-6144<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Tuesday, March 9, 2021
</span><a href="mailto:gail.mastrati@dem.ri.gov"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">gail.mastrati@dem.ri.gov</span></a><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">CONSUMER ADVISORY: DEM ALERTS PET SHOPS, FISH TANK OWNERS THAT THE INVASIVE ZEBRA MUSSEL MAY BE CONTAINED IN MOSS BALL AQUARIUM PRODUCTS SOLD IN RHODE ISLAND</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has alerted the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) that the Zebra mussel, a highly
invasive aquatic invertebrate, may have been distributed to pet shops in Rhode Island.
</span><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/clams/zebra.html__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!fYo0-Cmp5qdw6X5rXg4MYmGQoSS7VdcUe45cqwXuMuPjKV517SxMMmHCcdrrevzvYhZix9R1$"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Zebra mussels</span> [fws.gov]</a><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#333333"> (</span><i><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">Dreissena
polymorpha</span></i><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#333333">), regarded as one of the most destructive </span><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.fws.gov/injuriouswildlife/__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!fYo0-Cmp5qdw6X5rXg4MYmGQoSS7VdcUe45cqwXuMuPjKV517SxMMmHCcdrrevzvYilpd4dJ$"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">invasive species</span> [fws.gov]</a><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#333333"> in
North America, have been found in “moss balls,” </span><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">an aquarium plant product sold at aquarium and pet supply stores nationwide. A moss ball is a species of green algae that is formed into a ball and
is 2 to 5 inches in diameter.<span style="color:#333333"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Zebra mussels can quickly take over once they get established in a waterbody and cause significant damage including disrupting the food chain, changing the chemistry
of the water (which can cause more blue green algae outbreaks or offensive taste), and clogging water intake and delivery systems. DEM is concerned that live mussels released into a storm drain or flushed could be introduced into a waterway.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">“DEM is advising pet shops that have these products not to sell them and consumers who have recently purchased moss ball aquatic plant products not to use them,” said Scott Marshall,
DVM, RI State Veterinarian. “We urge consumers not to dispose of the moss balls in drains, waterways, or gardens. Moss balls must be destroyed by freezing, boiling or bleaching them and disposed of in a sealed container in the trash. Live mussels released
into a storm drain or flushed could be introduced into a waterway.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">On March 6, DEM notified more than 50 pet shops, fish and aquarium retailers, and big box stores of the possible contamination and asked that they remove the
following products from their shelves: <span style="color:black">Plant Ball Japanese Marimo, Betta Buddy Marimo Ball, Betta Buddy Baby Marimo Ball, and Moss Assorted Shrimp Buddies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white">
<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">Destroy, don’t dump<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">USFWS has issued guidance to consumers on how to destroy and dispose of the moss ball and zebra mussels.
</span><span style="color:black"><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.fws.gov/fisheries/ANS/zebra-mussel-disposal.html__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!fYo0-Cmp5qdw6X5rXg4MYmGQoSS7VdcUe45cqwXuMuPjKV517SxMMmHCcdrrevzvYj3_Pk0w$"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Click here.</span> [fws.gov]</a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:blue">
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">Moss balls should be destroyed in one of three ways:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="circle">
<li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="color:black;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Freeze – place the moss ball into a sealable plastic bag and freeze for at least 24 hours.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color:black;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Boil – place the moss ball in boiling water for at least 1 full minute.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="color:black;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Bleach / Vinegar – submerge the moss ball in chlorine bleach or undiluted white vinegar for 20 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">Consumers should dispose of the moss ball and any of its packaging in a sealed plastic bag in the trash. If vinegar, boiling water, or bleach was used, the liquid can be disposed
down a household drain —never down a storm drain where it could enter and damage local waterways.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">Fish tank owners should drain<b>
</b>and clean the aquarium after moss balls have been removed. Collect any fish or other living organisms and place them in another container, with water from a separate, uncontaminated water source. Sterilize the contaminated aquarium water by adding ¼ teaspoon
bleach for each gallon of water. Let the water sit for 10 minutes and then dispose of the sterilized water down a household drain.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">Zebra mussels are small, fingernail-sized mollusks native to the Caspian Sea region of Asia. They have three life stages – larval, juvenile, and adult. In the microscopic larval
stage, the mussels live freely in the water column, allowing them to be easily transported. Adult zebra mussels can stay alive for several days outside of water and are common hitchhikers on boats, fishing equipment, and aquarium plants. Despite their small
size, zebra mussels grow quickly and form colonies that can clog pipelines used for water filtration, render beaches unusable, and damage boats and infrastructure. They also impair aquatic ecosystems by harming native organisms.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Additional information and recommendations on handling zebra mussels is available at
</span><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.fws.gov/fisheries/ANS/zebra-mussel-disposal.pdf__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!eLsyhHrFFWNCJVPhD-w9foqLhTePYOtSP-6dc2zvIZS8gWXerR65ZQ7DKcAQhJkWIVq3vlFN$"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Zebra Mussel
Disposal (fws.gov) [fws.gov]</span></a><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoCaption"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black;font-style:normal">The possession of zebra mussels is prohibited in Rhode Island under Section 3.17 of Rules and Regulations Governing the Importation and
Possession of Wild Animals, which can be seen here,</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;font-style:normal">
</span><span style="font-style:normal"><a href="https://rules.sos.ri.gov/regulations/part/250-40-05-3" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">https://rules.sos.ri.gov/regulations/part/250-40-05-3</span></a></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">.
</span></span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:windowtext;font-style:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="xxmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#002451"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit
</span><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">http://www.dem.ri.gov/</span></a><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">. Follow us on Facebook at
</span><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!fYo0-Cmp5qdw6X5rXg4MYmGQoSS7VdcUe45cqwXuMuPjKV517SxMMmHCcdrrevzvYrrKxoQw$" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM</span> [facebook.com]</a><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> or on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) for
timely updates.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">###<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoCaption"><img border="0" width="389" height="491" style="width:4.052in;height:5.1145in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image003.png@01D714C8.F64D8850"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Moss ball and Zebra mussels.
Credit: Indiana Fish & Wildlife Service</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:windowtext"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="472" height="355" style="width:4.9166in;height:3.6979in" id="Picture_x0020_7" src="cid:image005.png@01D714C8.F64D8850"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Zebra mussels can quickly take over once they get established in a waterbody and cause significant damage. Credit USFWS.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoCaption"><img border="0" width="355" height="266" style="width:3.6979in;height:2.7708in" id="Picture_x0020_10" src="cid:image006.jpg@01D714C8.F64D8850"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">Here is
the labeling of one of the products. Credit: US Fish & Wildlife Service.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="477" height="268" style="width:4.9687in;height:2.7916in" id="Picture_x0020_6" src="cid:image007.png@01D714C8.F64D8850"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Zebra mussels’ common name is inspired by their dark, zebra-like stripes. Credit: USFWS</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
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