Piney Point phosphate plant is a former industrial fertilizer plant located in Manatee County, FL. Currently the site is leased to various industrial companies and houses numerous holding ponds. The site has a long, and contentious history regarding environmental impact dating back to the 60s. The discussion of Piney Point’s impact on the environment came to a head on March 25, 2021, when it was discovered that a holding pond storing over 400 million gallons of wastewater had sprung multiple leaks in a containment wall. The wastewater in that particular holding pond largely contained seawater from dredging, but also contained many hazardous chemicals from former plant operations. The leak was reported to authorities on March 26 and continued to worsen. Subsequently, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for multiple counties.
To address the immediate concern, contaminated water was pumped from the failing reservoir and discharged into Tampa Bay to attempt to avoid a total collapse. A collapse of the reservoir held major flood concerns and would destabilize two nearby ponds which store hazardous wastewater. According to the most recent update available at the time of this post, FL Department of Environmental Protection (FL DEP) reports that ultimately around 215 million gallons of untreated water was discharged to the port with 233 million gallons of water remaining. Pumping has ceased and DEP is working to initiate nutrient reduction and removal treatments from the remaining water onsite prior to further discharging to Port Manatee. Once the situation has been mitigated, officials intend to close the site permanently which will include draining, filling, and capping all reservoirs.
DEP is overseeing sampling and monitoring efforts to evaluate environmental impacts to Tampa Bay. Preliminary data shows elevated levels of nutrients which can fuel algae blooms. Endangered sea grass, known as the main source of food for manatees, can be killed by Algae Blooms. Even though the immediate threats appear to be neutralized, it’s hard to ignore the worst-case scenario. The final outcome and long-term impacts have yet to be fully understood.
Here at KCI we frequently talk about water quality and its impact on the environment. The Piney Point Predicament is a cautionary tale that highlights the absolute importance of monitoring industrial sites. KCI is committed to protecting local waterbodies and providing expert monitoring services. If you have an industrial site here in Florida, give us a call at (888) 346-7779.
