November 6, 2007

A North Dakota company hauling a piece of pumping equipment from a reservoir in Vermont had its trailer impounded in Minnesota, when it was found the pump contained an estimated 5,000 - 10,000 zebra mussels.

“Zebra mussels can live out of the water for a long time, and it doesn’t take many to start a large-scale infestation,” said Lt. John Hunt, a DNR conservation officer.

The trailer hauling the pump was impounded on Saturday, Oct. 27, at the St. Croix weigh station, west of Hudson, Wis. Weigh station personnel said the semi-trailer was too small for the load and ordered it held until a larger vehicle arrived. The zebra mussels were soon discovered during a routine inspection of the trailer, and a conservation officer was called for assistance.

Invasive species such as the zebra mussel, Eurasian watermilfoil, purple loosestrife, gypsy moth, and garlic mustard can cause ecological or economic problems threatening Minnesota’s natural resources. These species, along with new invasive species, could be easily spread within the state if citizens, businesses and visitors don’t take necessary steps to contain them.

It is illegal (a misdemeanor) to transport zebra mussels in Minnesota.

“Think of how many bridges they potentially drove across where small items can fall into the water below,” Hunt said. “The vibration from the road or bridge surface could have caused zebra mussels to fall off into who knows how many bodies of water across the country.”

The driver was charged with transporting zebra mussels.

Hunt said every two years the North Dakota company goes to Vermont to retrieve the pump for decontaminating and retrofitting. Once that’s completed, the pump is hauled back to Vermont and reinstalled in the reservoir.

“We don’t know where the company was going to clean the trailer off,” Hunt said. “They could have easily decided to clean it near their shop. The water runs into a storm sewer, infesting waterways in North Dakota. The possibilities are endless.”
The trailer was scraped and a high-pressure hose was used before it was returned it to the company. The zebra mussels were collected and properly disposed of.

“We can charge someone with being 30 sunfish over the limit, and you save 30 sunfish. That’s important,” Hunt said, “but there’s no way to say what amount of our natural resources we protected and saved by pulling that trailer off the road.”