An aggravating series of violations in an 800-million-gallon swimming pool at the Piney Point industrial site forced Manatee County to evacuate residents within about a mile of the plant tonight.
- The sheriff of Manatee County and the Florida Highway Patrol closed roads in the evacuation zone around US 41 in Palmetto, according to the Bradenton Herald, and the Red Cross was called in to help.
The latest: Acting Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes addressed reporters during a press conference around 9:20 p.m.
- Hopes said the water fed into Tampa Bay – at 22,000 gallons per minute, or 32 million gallons a day – is acidic and smells like ammonia, but the pool supports wildlife such as pike and ducks.
- “I will not drink it,” Hopes said when asked if it was contaminated.
- The property has long been considered ‘one of the biggest environmental threats in Florida’s history’.
The background: The old phosphate plant, which was in use from the 1960s to 2001, contains stacks of phosphogypsum, a by-product of fertilizer production, and large pools of contaminated water. As Selene reported on Wednesday:
- A leak was discovered in the 77-acre waterfall last week.
- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection said its drainage is the only way to prevent a miscarriage and catastrophic release. ‘
The whole picture: The site manager, Jeff Barath, was shaking and seemed to be fighting back tears as he spoke to land commissioners about the situation.
- “There are likely to be consequences in Tampa Bay,” he told the commission.
What they say: Matthew Pasek, professor of geoscience at the USF, initially told Axios that releasing small amounts of phosphate-contaminated water into the bay might not be so bad, but warned that we are now looking at irreversible damage.
- “Algae blossoms followed by the death of fish are the most likely thing,” Pasek said. “It’s going to affect the food chain further. It’s probably not going to cause human harm, but there’s going to be a pretty smelly bay for a while.”
- A state environmental spokesman wrote of the water: “It is slightly acidic, but not at a level that is expected to be alarming, nor toxic,” according to the Tampa Bay Times.
- The DEP said in a statement that it was’ committed to the full application of any damage to our state’s resources and property. [property owner HRK Holdings] responsible for this event. “
This story first appears in the Axios Tampa Bay newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster with the most important news that appears in their own backyard.