DAVIS, Calif., May 09, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (NASDAQ:MBII) (MBI) today announced that the United States Environmental Protection Agency has approved funding, under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), to assess new, non-enclosed open water application techniques with Zequanox that Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor to the U.S. EPA Administrator, notes “potentially could expand invasive zebra and quagga mussel control possibilities throughout the Great Lakes Basin.”
The $641,077 GLRI award will be administered by Petoskey, MI-based, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council (TOMWC). The two-year project is a multi-stakeholder effort that will involve collaboration between TOMWC, local public schools, the Pickerel-Crooked Lake Association, the Douglas Lake Improvement Board, the Charlevoix-Antrim-Kalkaska-Emmet Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area, The University of Michigan Biological Station, the Michigan Natural Features Inventory, the United States Geological Survey and Marrone Bio Innovations.
As laid out in the “Furthering Restoration via a New Approach to Invasive Mussel Control” work plan, “the project collaborators will partner with researchers and consultants to apply Zequanox, evaluate control efficacy and assess environmental responses using a new, non-enclosed treatment approach. The project will treat three acres of invasive mussels and provide the necessary information for determining viability of large-scale Zequanox application and native species restoration. The project will educate, involve and inform stakeholders throughout the Great Lakes via an Invasive Mussel Collaborative webinar.”
MBI CEO, Dr. Pamela Marrone stated she was “grateful to the team of federal, state and local volunteers, scientists and policy leaders that have collaborated with MBI over the past three years to demonstrate the potential of Zequanox to reduce the environmental and economic harm that invasive zebra and quagga mussels have caused in the Great Lakes. Recent, successful Zequanox open water demonstration projects with partners in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota have provided valuable information and guidance on how Zequanox can be deployed as an effective invasive mussel management and environmental restoration tool.” Dr. Marrone further stated, “MBI looks forward to working closely with the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council and other team members to make this major project a success.”
Zequanox was first approved for open water uses on July 8, 2014 and is the only zebra and quagga mussel control product registered by the EPA for open water use that is a biopesticide. Compared to conventional chemical applications, Zequanox has reduced risk to humans and non-target organisms, including threatened and endangered freshwater mussels, as the product specifically targets zebra and quagga mussels.
Zequanox is made in MBI’s manufacturing plant in Bangor, MI.
On May 4th, 2016, The EPA announced its awarding of $12.5 million to fund 28 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants for 28 different projects to restore and protect our Great Lakes.
About Marrone Bio Innovations
Smart. Natural. Solutions.
Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (NASDAQ:MBII) aims to lead the movement to a more sustainable world through the discovery, development and promotion of biological products for pest management and plant health. Our effective and environmentally responsible solutions help customers operate more sustainably while controlling pests, improving plant health, and increasing crop yields. We have four products for agriculture on the market (Regalia,® Grandevo®, Venerate® and Majestene®), and also distribute Bio-tam 2.0® for Isagro USA. MBI also markets Zequanox for invasive mussels, a proprietary discovery process, a rapid development platform, and a robust pipeline of pest management and plant health product candidates. At Marrone Bio Innovations we are dedicated to pioneering better biopesticides that support a better tomorrow for users around the globe. For more information, please visit www.marronebio.com.
Marrone Bio Innovations Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertain-ties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding strategy, future operations and plans, including assumptions underlying such statements, are forward-looking statements, and should not be relied upon as representing MBI’s views as of any subsequent date. Examples of such statements include statements regarding the market for and potential benefits of Zequanox and the successful implementation and funding of the GLRI project. Such forward-looking statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date of this release and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some beyond the Company's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements, including any difficulty in the application of Zequanox in the project and adverse decisions by regulatory agencies and other relevant third parties. Additional information that could lead to material changes in MBI’s performance is contained in its filings with the SEC. MBI is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any responsibility to, update or alter forward-looking statements contained in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.