1 day ago Share No doubt there will be plenty of political blaming in the wake of the Piney Point leak that Manatee County commissioners were negligent. For the truth, just watch their Jan. 26 meeting.
As the drama subsides around Manatee County’s environmental emergency at the old Piney Point phosphate mine, no doubt we can expect the political fallout to equal, if not surpass, the environmental fallout.
Out-of-power forces always love a crisis and a disaster to blame on those in power.
Thankfully, the leaking of contaminated water from a deteriorating containment wall did not create the historic human and environmental catastrophe it could have.
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Florida: Evacuation order lifted over leaking Tampa reservoir
The US state deployed over twenty pumps and other equipment to drain away almost all of the 480 million gallons (1.8 billion liters) of contaminated water out of the reservoir.
The crisis started when the authorities noticed leaks in the reservoir s walls
After a days-long drama, US authorities lifted an evacuation order for 300 homes near the city of Tampa in Florida on Tuesday. The evacuation had been ordered over fears that a leaking toxic wastewater reservoir could cause flooding in Manatee county.
Florida deployed over twenty pumps and other equipment to drain away almost all of the 480 million gallons (1.8 billion liters) of contaminated water out of the reservoir. The state also reopened a major highway in the area.
Breach continues but evacuation orders lifted near Florida reservoir
Evacuation orders near a Tampa-area reservoir where there still is a breach have been lifted, officials said Tuesday.
Acting Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes said the situation at the former Piney Point phosphate plant is “very much under control now.”
Water from the breach has been routed to an unused retention pond on site that has a liner in it, according to Hopes.
And around 34 million gallons a day are being moved as part of the controlled release through pumps, vacuum trucks and other methods, officials said.
Hopes said they have successfully released approximately 180 million gallons of water.