Workers on Sunday pumped millions of gallons of polluted wastewater into an ecologically sensitive Florida Bay as they tried to prevent the ‘impending’ collapse of a storage dam at an old phosphate mine.
Officials in Manatee Province expanded an evacuation zone overnight and warned Sunday that up to 340m liters could engulf the area in a 20-meter wall of water if they did not cover the breach in the Piney Point Reservoir in the Tampa Bay area, north of Bradenton, could not recover. .
Aerial photos broadcast on local television showed water flowing from leaks in the walls of the retention dam.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency after officials warned of the “impending collapse” of the dam.
He toured the scene by helicopter Sunday morning, saying at a press conference that engineers are still trying to stop violations in the reservoir wall with rocks and other materials, and that other mitigation efforts include the controlled release of 35 million gallons daily at Port Manatee.
He said the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) had introduced 20 new pumps.
“What we are looking at now is trying to prevent and respond to a real catastrophic flood,” DeSantis said. “The problems with the water quality that result from this are less than the risk to everyone’s health and safety, especially people who live in the area.”
The governor also tried to diminish reports that the water contained traces of radioactive materials.
‘The water was tested before it was released [and] the most important concern is nutrients, ”he said. “The water meets the quality of the water, standards for marine waters, with the exception of phosphorus and nitrogen.”
Scott Hopes, the acting provincial administrator, warned at the press conference that the nearby area, despite a low population density, could be overwhelmed by a sudden collapse of the 77-acre dam, although the discharges reduced the amount of water remaining.
‘What if we had a complete transgression? We are at about 340 million liters that can break into totality in a matter of minutes, and the models for less than an hour are as high as a wall of 20 meters. He said.
“So if you are in an evacuation area and have not heeded, think twice and follow the instructions.”
Officials widened the evacuation zone late Saturday from a dozen properties to more than 300 homes. The Tampa Bay Times conducted interviews with residents who refused to leave.
The dam at the abandoned phosphate mine is housed in a stack of phosphogypsum, a radioactive waste product from the manufacture of fertilizers. The dam contains small amounts of radium and uranium that occur naturally. The stacks can also release large concentrations of radon gas.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the only elected Democrat in the entire office, warned of an ‘environmental disaster’ and called on DeSantis – who described the toxic water as “mixed salt waterIn a tweet announcing the state of emergency – to hold an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the state’s response.
‘Floridians were evacuated from their homes on Easter weekend. 480m liters of toxic wastewater could end up in Tampa Bay – it could be an environmental disaster, ‘ she said on Twitter.
Environmental protection groups have warned that more pollutants in Tampa Bay will increase the risk to wildlife due to poisonous red tide flowers.
“Phosphate companies have had more than 50 years to find a way to dispose of radioactive gypsum waste,” said activist group Mana-Sota 88. “At present, there are no federal, state or local regulations requiring the industry to dispose of phosphogypsum waste in an environmentally friendly manner.”
In a statement, the group said: ‘The current crisis can be traced back to the absurd 2006 decision to allow dredging material from Port Manatee to be placed in one of the gypsum piles at Piney Point, something the pile never designed for. is not and what should be never allowed. ”
At the Sunday press conference, Hopes conceded: “It could have been resolved two decades ago.” He said the long-term goal is to fully pump out and fill the three reservoirs on site.
Piney Point owner HRK Holdings bought the site after it was abandoned by the Mulberry Corporation, which has operated the phosphate plant for more than 40 years. As long ago as 2003, the Sarasota Herald Tribune reported, reservoir walls were crumbling. The Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has earlier given permission to dump hundreds of millions of gallons of toxic water into the Gulf of Mexico.
At a meeting of the Manatee Commission on Thursday, named after the severity of the new leak became clear, engineers pointed to the deterioration of the dam’s decades-old plastic lining.
“The condition of the liner is not particularly large,” Mike Kelley, an engineer commissioned by HRK Holdings, told the meeting, Times reported. “It’s old. There were some installation issues. There is a long documented history of the line system experiencing problems. ”
The newspaper checked records of the website and found that in July, October and December last year, staff documented small holes or weaknesses in plastic seams above the waterline.
On Sunday, DeSantis said HRK would be held accountable.