Florida to close wastewater reservoir that poured into Tampa Bay.The reservoir contains what are called phosphogypsum stacks, a leftover from the phosphate mined for fertilizer. Officials say the water contains nitrogen, phosphorus, ammonia and small amounts of radium and uranium, but is not radioactive.
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What leaked into Tampa?
Polluted wastewater at an abandoned phosphate mine in Manatee County was pumped into Tampa Bay to stop a leak from flooding surrounding neighborhoods. Stakeholders say this could have consequences for the marine ecosystem.
Where is the radioactive leak in Florida?
It’s been a week since a significant leak at a long-abandoned fertilizer plant in the Tampa Bay area threatened the surrounding groundwater, soil, and local water supplies. Last weekend, officials ordered more than 300 families living near the 676-acre Piney Point plant site in Manatee county to evacuate.
Is the water in Tampa still contaminated?
Scientists say early effects of release were not widespread but questions remain. Contamination levels in part of Tampa Bay near a massive discharge of polluted water from the old Piney Point fertilizer plant site have declined, researchers said Monday.
What’s wrong with Tampa Bay Water?
Florida officials are pumping the leaking Piney Point reservoir’s contaminated water into Tampa Bay, where it could cause even more problems. A leak in a contaminated reservoir has caused evacuations in Manatee County, Florida.The toxic water could ruinously affect the local sea life and waterway.
Is the Piney Point leak radioactive?
According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the wastewater at Piney Point is not radioactive. The biggest concern with the wastewater that is being released into Tampa Bay is the high level of nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen, which can feed red tide.
Is Piney Point still leaking?
While the seepage from the pond continued for weeks, none of that contaminated water has left the Piney Point site since April 8 when the discharge into Tampa Bay was turned off. The leak has been contained in stormwater ponds on the site, FDEP said.
Is Tampa Bay contaminated?
Scientists have found concentrations of chlorophyll and other nutrients have declined since then, with wind and tides spreading the contamination throughout lower Tampa Bay. Dean Thomas Frazer of the College of Marine Science said they’re seeing a decline in the amount of nutrients from the original release.
Where is Piney Point leak in Florida?
On March 25, 2021, leaks were discovered in the containment wall of a 77-acre pond holding approximately 460 million gallons of wastewater at a former phosphate plant at Piney Point, Florida, about 20 miles south of Tampa.
What will happen if Piney Point breaks?
The phosphogypsum stacks form a large hill — the highest elevation point in Manatee County — on the 676-acre Piney Point site. A collapse of the stacks would send the process water rushing into surrounding properties, including highway U.S. 41, Port Manatee and industrial warehouses in the area.
Is Tampa still under boil water advisory?
— The City of Tampa’s boil water advisory has been lifted. The advisory had been in effect since the city’s huge water main break that happened Monday.
Is it safe to swim in Tampa Bay?
Swimming ‘not recommended’ at several Tampa Bay beaches due to high bacteria levels. According to health leaders, the presence of the bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution.
Is Tampa Bay Water Safe?
Tap water from Tampa Bay Water’s regional system remains safe for all uses – drinking, cooking, handwashing and bathing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “the virus that causes COVID-19 has not been detected in drinking water.
What happened Piney Point?
On March 26, a leak sprung at Piney Point, a phosphate mine and fertilizer plant that’s been defunct since 2001. The facility—one of more than two dozen in the state, nine of which are still active—houses stacks of phosphogypsum, a toxic, radioactive byproduct of the fertilizer production process.
How many gallons did Piney Point dump?
The lawsuit comes after Florida regulators authorized the discharge of up to 480 million gallons of wastewater from the Piney Point phosphogypsum stack into Tampa Bay following years of regulatory failures and mismanagement.
Who is responsible for Piney Point leak?
HRK Holdings
Pollution leak was a team effort, and government shares in the blame. This article represents the opinion of the Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board. The environmental crisis at the old Piney Point fertilizer plant didn’t originate overnight, and blame doesn’t fall only on the land’s private owner, HRK Holdings.
What did Piney Point dump?
The Piney Point site once housed a plant where manufacturers processed phosphate to make an ingredient in fertilizer. That work left a byproduct called phosphogypsum, a chalky substance that federal environmental officials require to be held in strictly monitored stacks because it is radioactive.
Did Piney Point cause red tide?
THE ANSWER. No, the “scientific consensus” isn’t clear that Piney Point did not cause red tide. Elsa was a likely contributing factor. Research into the extent of how the discharge from the former fertilizer plant is affecting the water is ongoing.
Is Piney Point responsible for red tide?
“This has really been an anomalous event,” he said. Although experts point to Piney Point as a significant catalyst for the red tide, it was not the only contributor. Tomasko said it will take a long-term approach to address the many different factors that contribute to local algal blooms.
What’s in the water at Piney Point?
The discharge ended April 9, leaving a pollutant plume containing what the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) calls “mixed sea water.” The acidic blend of saltwater and debris from a Port Manatee dredge project, stormwater runoff and rainfall also contains “legacy process water” – wastewater from
What is Piney Point Florida?
Piney Point phosphate plant is an industrial site in Manatee County, Florida and the location of a former fertilizer plant. The land is currently owned by HRK Holdings, which leases portions of the land to industrial tenants under the name Eastport.
