The worsening series of violations in an 800 million gallon holding pool at the Piney Point industrial site prompted Manatee County to evacuate residents about a kilometer from the factory tonight.
- The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office 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 most recently: Acting Manatee County administrator Scott Hopes spoke to reporters at a press conference around 9:20 pm.
- Hopes said the water discharged in Tampa Bay – at a rate of 22,000 gallons per minute, or 32 million gallons per day – is acidic and smells like ammonia, but said the pool supported wild animals like bass and ducks.
- “I wouldn’t drink,” said Hopes when asked if he was infected.
- The property has long been considered “one of the greatest environmental threats in Florida’s history”.
The background: The old phosphate plant site, in operation from the 1960s until 2001, contains piles of plaster, a by-product of fertilizer production, and large pools of polluted water. As Selene reported on Wednesday:
- A leak was discovered in the 77-acre process water pond last week.
- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection said that draining it was the only way to avoid “a failure of containment and a catastrophic release”.
The big picture: The voice of the site manager, Jeff Barath, shook and he seemed to be fighting tears as he spoke to the county commissioners about the situation.
- “There will likely be impacts in Tampa Bay,” he told the commission.
What they are saying: USF geoscience professor Matthew Pasek initially told Axios that releasing small amounts of phosphate-contaminated water into the bay may not be so bad, but he warned that we are now facing irreversible damage.
- “The emergence of algae followed by the death of fish is the most likely,” said Pasek. “It will impact the food chain later on as well. It is unlikely to cause human damage, but it will be a very stinking bay for a while.”
- A state environmental spokeswoman wrote of the water: “It is slightly acidic, but not at a level that is expected to be worrying, nor toxic,” according to the Tampa Bay Times.
- The DEP said in a statement that “it is dedicated to the full application of any damages to our state’s resources and [property owner HRK Holdings] responsible for this event. “
This story first appeared in the Axios Tampa Bay newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter and faster on the most important news unfolding in their own backyard.