(FOX40.COM) — Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom warned Wednesday that California is running out of time to contain the rapid spread of invasive golden mussels, urging immediate state action to protect water systems, agriculture and consumers.
Speaking during a state budget subcommittee hearing, Ransom called for funding to establish five decontamination centers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which she said is critical to slowing the species’ expansion into other waterways.
“My community in San Joaquin County is ground zero for this infestation, and we are already seeing the damage firsthand,” Ransom said. “California has a narrow window to get ahead of this, and we are already missing it. If we don’t act now, this will only get more expensive and harder to control.”
Golden mussels, first detected in California in 2024, spread by attaching to boats and water systems, clogging pipes and damaging infrastructure, Ransom said in a press release. The Delta — which supplies water to roughly 30 million Californians and millions of acres of farmland — is already experiencing impacts.
Image: Assemblymember Ransom Addresses Golden Mussel Crisis in Budget Hearing
Ransom said the state’s current response does not match the scale of the threat, warning that delays could drive up costs for water agencies and ultimately ratepayers and farmers.
Water agencies across California are already projecting steep expenses, including up to $100 million in initial treatment costs for major systems, tens of millions annually in maintenance, and individual cleaning operations costing as much as $150,000.
Ransom is advancing AB 2032, known as the Golden Mussel Response Act, which aims to streamline permitting and allow water agencies to respond more quickly to prevent, control and remove the invasive species.
Ransom stated that she expects the issue to be addressed further in the state’s May budget revision as lawmakers weigh additional funding and policy responses.
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