A federal court ruled in favor of Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club in a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s plans to use Lake Mattamuskeet as a testing ground for a chemical that is toxic to birds.
Officials with the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge announced in 2023 that would apply chemical pellets to test their effects on persistent blooms of blue-green algae on the state’s largest natural freshwater lake.
Officials with the Southern Environmental Law Center said the Fish and Wildlife Service approved use of Lake Guard Oxy, a sodium percarbonate-based algaecide, after the General Assembly appropriated $5 million to test the chemical, even though it has been found to harm and kill birds.
During warm months over the last several years, the lake has had algal blooms that included cyanobacteria, which can be harmful to people and animals.
SELC attorney Ramona McGee said the ruling is a relief for everyone who treasures Lake Mattamuskeet and the amazing bird life the wildlife sanctuary is known for.
She is asking the service to refocus on long-term solutions for restoring the lake instead of unnecessarily exposing the hundreds of species of birds to the toxic algaecide.
