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Florida phosphate reservoir on the verge of collapse: An exposure of industrial and government negligence On Sunday, the state of Florida began pumping millions of gallons of radioactive contaminated wastewater into Bishop Harbor, an ecologically sensitive inlet connecting to Tampa Bay. This was done to prevent the “imminent” collapse of the Piney Point retention pond, a phosphate reservoir that began leaking in late March. This breach is only the latest incident in a decades-long history of environmental disasters involving the property. After a significant leak was detected Friday, April 2, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency, and Manatee County officials established an evacuation zone where it is possible that 340 million gallons could engulf the area in a “20 ft wall of water” in a matter of minutes if the breach cannot be repaired. Engineers have been working since March to plug breaches in the reservoir with rocks and other materials a ....
From the Archives: Bending the rules at Piney Point, a $140-million mess In a 2003 story, a top state regulator called Piney Point âone of the biggest environmental threats in Florida history.â Â Â The earthen embankment containing the Piney Point waste has suffered from structural problems requiring patching with gravel. (2003, Times Archive) [ CERRI, LARA | St. Petersburg Times ] By Craig Pittman, Julie Hauserman and Candace Rondeaux Published Jun. 20, 2006 The warning signs were clear: The Piney Point fertilizer plant was headed for disaster. State regulators knew in 1995 that the owner, Mulberry Corp., was struggling. If it went under, the state would be stuck with hundreds of millions of gallons of highly acidic wastewater in towering gypsum stacks perched on the edge of Tampa Bay. ....