Fluoride Action Network

Piney Point: Collapse a ‘real possibility’ at old phosphate plant on Tampa Bay, engineer says

Source: Tampa Bay Times | By Zachary T. Sampson
Posted on April 1st, 2021
Location: United States, Florida
Industry type: Phosphate Industry

Updated April 2, 2021

Manager says ‘there will likely be impacts in Tampa Bay’ from wastewater releases.

A leak continues to threaten disaster at an old phosphate plant in Palmetto, with an engineer telling Manatee County commissioners on Thursday that it’s vital for operators to keep discharging thousands of gallons of wastewater to Tampa Bay every minute.

“It is a very critical condition,” said Mike Kelley, an outside engineer who works with the site’s operator, HRK Holdings. “Uncontrolled release is a real possibility at this stage. Getting the water off the stack is imperative.”

The site off U.S. 41 contains stacks of phosphogypsum — a material regulated for its radioactivity — and reservoirs of polluted water. The company in charge of the property detected signs of a leak last week.