Toxic wastewater reservoir on verge of collapse in Florida could cause "catastrophic event"

[HumblePi]

Toxic wastewater reservoir on verge of collapse in Florida could cause "catastrophic event"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-state-of-emergency-wastewater-leak/
Hundreds of residents in Manatee County, Florida, were ordered to evacuate their homes over Easter weekend as officials feared that a wastewater pond could collapse "at any time." On Saturday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for the area.

County officials said the pond, located at the former Piney Point phosphate processing plant, had a "significant leak," according to CBS affiliate WTSP-TV. The Manatee County Public Safety Department told people near the plant to evacuate due to an "imminent uncontrolled release of wastewater."

At a press conference Sunday morning, DeSantis said officials are pumping out 33 million gallons of water a day from the pond, and that the water "is not radioactive," although another official added that the water is "not water we want to see leaving the site." The primary concern, DeSantis said, is the nutrient makeup of the water, which contains metals. Reports on water samples should be available in the coming days.

"We're hoping that we can just continue to get the water out in an efficient way to prevent a catastrophic event," DeSantis said.

Officials said at the meeting that the greatest threat for the time being is flooding. Even after days of pumping water out of reservoir, there are still roughly 3,450 million gallons of wastewater that could suddenly be unleashed.

If the reservoir were to fully collapse, one model shows that the area could see a "20-foot wall of water" within minutes, acting Manatee County administrator Scott Hopes said.

Phosphogypsum is the "radioactive waste" left over from processing phosphate ore into a state that can be used for fertilizer, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

"In addition to high concentrations of radioactive materials, phosphogypsum and processed wastewater can also contain carcinogens and heavy toxic metals," the center said in a statement on Saturday. "For every ton of phosphoric acid produced, the fertilizer industry creates 5 tons of radioactive phosphogypsum waste, which is stored in mountainous stacks hundreds of acres wide and hundreds of feet tall."
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This is bad --- VERY bad. I saw Ron DeSantis giving a press briefing and he's obviously very concerned. Maybe Joe Biden will have an easier time selling his Infrastructure Bill now. This is what happens when EPA regulations are relaxed and even discarded.

 

[HumblePi]

 

[mike2810]

I would think HRK Holdings has some explaining to do. They own the site.

 

[HumblePi]

I would think HRK Holdings has some explaining to do. They own the site.

They probably had their regulations relaxed under Trump. A 'crack' in their retaining wall should have been found if it had been inspected as it should have been.

 

[Redress]

Guess where I am moving later this summer...

Srsly, this is exactly my luck. Moving to a nice new house being built, really excited, and then bam, there is millions of gallons of toxic water leaking several miles away...FML...

 

[DiAnna]

@Redress Yikes. So sorry to hear that.

 

[HumblePi]

Guess where I am moving later this summer...

Srsly, this is exactly my luck. Moving to a nice new house being built, really excited, and then bam, there is millions of gallons of toxic water leaking several miles away...FML...

Let's hope the dam doesn't breach. If it happens, it will be a catastrophic event as Ron DeSantis said it would be. I don't know if Florida or the country is prepared for such a disaster.

 

[Redress]

Let's hope the dam doesn't breach. If it happens, it will be a catastrophic event as Ron DeSantis said it would be. I don't know if Florida or the country is prepared for such a disaster.

I do not think it will get that bad.

Which come to think of it is exactly what I said at first about COVID...

 

[Court Jester]

Most embankment dams will fail when water levels are allowed to get too full. The most important part of a reservoir (especially one that is an embankment dam), is how well the spillway is designed. But this isn't a reservoir it is a waste stabilization pond, so there is no plan ever to let it spill out---which at this point they should just let it out and run off to the ocean rather than allow it to fail and destroy homes and businesses. Just drain the swamp--- easy peasy.

But they won't do that. Too afraid of killing fish and frogs.

Note to all would be home buyers. Never buy property in a flood basin zone, or below a dam.

 

[mike2810]

Article from USA Today dated today.
" A leak in the liner of a Florida reservoir has caused a partial breach in one of its containment walls and officials hope that pumping more than 30 million gallons of wastewater out of the reservoir into the Tampa Bay ecosystem will relieve pressure on the walls and reduce the chance of an uncontrolled major breach. ".....

" State Rep. Will Robinson said a permanent solution to lingering issues at Piney Point has been difficult to find over the years because the private property has changed owners multiple times, and government officials have continuously debated over proper solutions, as well as whether taxpayer funding should be used to clean up private property.
Piney Point: Florida crews pump wastewater into Tampa Bay; evacuations (usatoday.com)

Piney Point: What you need to know on Monday about evacuations, wastewater (heraldtribune.com)

 

[eohrnberger]

Has been a known issue for some years now.

Piney Point phosphate processing plant - Google Search

www.google.com

Earliest report in these search results is: Feb 2014.

The State of Tampa Bay | Bay Soundings
http://baysoundings.com › the-state-of-tampa-bay
Feb 20, 2014 — The discussion included evaluation of Mosaic Company's present and future phosphate mining and processing operations in the ... Piney Point closure activities. ... The re-mediated Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination Plant came on-line in ...

The Piney Point fertilizer plant opened in Manatee County in 1966 and was abandoned in 2001. Since then, various stakeholders have failed to agree on a solution to safely drain the property’s toxic phosphogypsum stacks.

Buchanan Calls on EPA to Oversee Toxic Waste at Piney Point

WASHINGTON – Congressman Vern Buchanan today called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to oversee efforts to dispose of toxic wastewater at the former Piney Point phosphate processing plant. In a letter to the EPA Regional Administrator Kathy Walker , Buchanan asked the agency to...

buchanan.house.gov

 

[HumblePi]

Where were the EPA inspection? How can anyone expect a private-for-profit company to do self-inspections and truly address any problems if it will take millions of dollars to correct? Nobody should expect that. That's why the EPA was formed as part of the Clean Water Act. The EPA has the authority to enforce the implementation of pollution control programs of private companies like HRK Holdings.

Check out the statement by this man, a spokesperson for HRK Holdings. He's more than nervous, he's freaking out

 

[HumblePi]

Most embankment dams will fail when water levels are allowed to get too full. The most important part of a reservoir (especially one that is an embankment dam), is how well the spillway is designed. But this isn't a reservoir it is a waste stabilization pond, so there is no plan ever to let it spill out---which at this point they should just let it out and run off to the ocean rather than allow it to fail and destroy homes and businesses. Just drain the swamp--- easy peasy.

But they won't do that. Too afraid of killing fish and frogs.

Note to all would be home buyers. Never buy property in a flood basin zone, or below a dam.

HK Holdings has known for years that the liner used to contain the waste water was leaking. Maybe you think it's 'easy peasy' to just let radioactive, carcinogen chemicals into the ocean. You evidently don't know very much about public health and safety or the impact it would have on the environment.

 

[eohrnberger]

Where were the EPA inspection? How can anyone expect a private-for-profit company to do self-inspections and truly address any problems if it will take millions of dollars to correct? Nobody should expect that. That's why the EPA was formed as part of the Clean Water Act. The EPA has the authority to enforce the implementation of pollution control programs of private companies like HRK Holdings.

Check out the statement by this man, a spokesperson for HRK Holdings. He's more than nervous, he's freaking out

And the ignoring of this particular situation goes all the way back to at least Feb 20, 2014.

EPA spill: 'The magnitude of it, you can't even describe it' | CNN

The city of Durango and La Plata County, Colorado, have declared a state of emergency after a crew accidentally released mine waste into the water.

www.cnn.com

EPA Says It Released 3 Million Gallons Of Contaminated Water Into River

The spill on Wednesday sent heavy metals, arsenic and other contaminants into a waterway that flows into the San Juan National Forest. Estimates of the spill's size have risen sharply since then.

www.npr.org

Well so much for government efficiency and effectiveness, especially Obama's EPA.

 

[HumblePi]

And the ignoring of this particular situation goes all the way back to at least Feb 20, 2014.

EPA spill: 'The magnitude of it, you can't even describe it' | CNN

The city of Durango and La Plata County, Colorado, have declared a state of emergency after a crew accidentally released mine waste into the water.

www.cnn.com

EPA Says It Released 3 Million Gallons Of Contaminated Water Into River

The spill on Wednesday sent heavy metals, arsenic and other contaminants into a waterway that flows into the San Juan National Forest. Estimates of the spill's size have risen sharply since then.

www.npr.org

Well so much for government efficiency and effectiveness, especially Obama's EPA.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/envir...r-shape-before-piney-point-leak-records-show/

'But last July, state records show, an engineer brought on by HRK Holdings suggested the company should look for an alternative because the plastic liner was in poor condition.

Citing “significant deterioration of the upper portion of the liner system over the last few years,” the engineer advised against using the pond as a backstop at peak levels because of a “relatively high potential for liner failure and potential release of process water into the gypsum dikes or pond floor.”

Over the last year, according to multiple reports filed with the state, HRK staffers repeatedly inspected the liner and saw cracks, sometimes several inches in length, or other weaknesses they thought could become holes in the future. The breaks were spotted above the water line, up to about 10 feet from the surface.

HRK staffers referred to open cracks, some of which were wide enough to see through, as “critical conditions.” They covered the fissures with water-resistant tape as a temporary patch and vowed to inspect the flaws daily until a more permanent fix, records show.'

 

[eohrnberger]

https://www.tampabay.com/news/envir...r-shape-before-piney-point-leak-records-show/

'But last July, state records show, an engineer brought on by HRK Holdings suggested the company should look for an alternative because the plastic liner was in poor condition.

Citing “significant deterioration of the upper portion of the liner system over the last few years,” the engineer advised against using the pond as a backstop at peak levels because of a “relatively high potential for liner failure and potential release of process water into the gypsum dikes or pond floor.”

Over the last year, according to multiple reports filed with the state, HRK staffers repeatedly inspected the liner and saw cracks, sometimes several inches in length, or other weaknesses they thought could become holes in the future. The breaks were spotted above the water line, up to about 10 feet from the surface.

HRK staffers referred to open cracks, some of which were wide enough to see through, as “critical conditions.” They covered the fissures with water-resistant tape as a temporary patch and vowed to inspect the flaws daily until a more permanent fix, records show.'

This situation should not have been allowed to go on so long (it's like nearly 20 years 2001 to preset!), and should have been dealt with while it was a smaller, more manageable problem, instead of the larger, more costly problem it's been allowed to deteriorate into, if you ask me. :sigh:

Yes, I know, that's all 20/20 hindsight now, unfortunately.

 

[Helix]

perhaps the best way to solve this is to let the free market handle the twenty foot wall of spilled toxic waste. for example, for profit coroners can handle the dead bodies, for profit hospitals can treat those who become terminally ill, and for profit fence makers can fence the whole area off for thirty years or whatever. as for losses, if anyone is rich enough to qualify, for profit delivery services can ship boxes of taxpayer money to those who caused the problem in the first place.

 

[SCrider]

Most embankment dams will fail when water levels are allowed to get too full. The most important part of a reservoir (especially one that is an embankment dam), is how well the spillway is designed. But this isn't a reservoir it is a waste stabilization pond, so there is no plan ever to let it spill out---which at this point they should just let it out and run off to the ocean rather than allow it to fail and destroy homes and businesses. Just drain the swamp--- easy peasy.

But they won't do that. Too afraid of killing fish and frogs.

Note to all would be home buyers. Never buy property in a flood basin zone, or below a dam.

Maybe come up with abetter solution then to let a bunch of toxic water just sit in a basin until the walls erode? Oh yeah that would cost the corporation money.

 

[HumblePi]

---which at this point they should just let it out and run off to the ocean rather than allow it to fail and destroy homes and businesses. Just drain the swamp--- easy peasy.

But they won't do that. Too afraid of killing fish and frogs.

Note to all would be home buyers. Never buy property in a flood basin zone, or below a dam.

I sure hope that was a joke, nobody could be that clueless.

 

[HumblePi]

perhaps the best way to solve this is to let the free market handle the twenty foot wall of spilled toxic waste. for example, for profit coroners can handle the dead bodies, for profit hospitals can treat those who become terminally ill, and for profit fence makers can fence the whole area off for thirty years or whatever. as for losses, if anyone is rich enough to qualify, for profit delivery services can ship boxes of taxpayer money to those who caused the problem in the first place.

And there's always a hospice to take care of the people dying from cancer as a result of the carcinogens that would be released into the ground water, ocean, lakes, ponds and streams.

 

[Court Jester]

HK Holdings has known for years that the liner used to contain the waste water was leaking. Maybe you think it's 'easy peasy' to just let radioactive, carcinogen chemicals into the ocean. You evidently don't know very much about public health and safety or the impact it would have on the environment.

I understand the impact on enviroment, but that waste if allowed to be released to the ocean in this emergency situation with a failing embankment pond will eventually be absorbed into the salt water and dissipate. Maybe not ideal, but this same stuff is dumped into the oceans around the world all the time like it or not. But what may be worse would be allowing the waste water to just flood homes and businesses, so a choice needs to be made, especially if the dam/embankment is going to fail anyway. To the ocean, or into neighborhoods.

This happens ALL THE TIME with wastewater including untreated sewage. We always prefer that the effluent (treated wastewater) is okay to release into rivers, oceans, and ground water, but sometimes during heavy rains or storms, the treatment plants cannot keep up, so it unfortunately is directly released into rivers and oceans.

The time to deal with companies which do wastewater treatement which are not following best pracitces is BEFORE such events, not after.

 

[HumblePi]

I understand the impact on enviroment, but that waste if allowed to be released to the ocean in this emergency situation with a failing embankment pond will eventually be absorbed into the salt water and dissipate. Maybe not ideal, but this same stuff is dumped into the oceans around the world all the time like it or not. But what may be worse would be allowing the waste water to just flood homes and businesses, so a choice needs to be made, especially if the dam/embankment is going to fail anyway. To the ocean, or into neighborhoods.

This happens ALL THE TIME with wastewater including untreated sewage. We always prefer that the effluent (treated wastewater) is okay to release into rivers, oceans, and ground water, but sometimes during heavy rains or storms, the treatment plants cannot keep up, so it unfortunately is directly released into rivers and oceans.

The time to deal with companies which do wastewater treatement which are not following best pracitces is BEFORE such events, not after.

The 'radioactive' waste is different than 'waste' from materials like petroleum products, industrial chemicals, pesticides, PCBs, and solid and hazardous wastes. I know you're too young to remember PCB's that were commercially produced between 1920 and 1979 until they were banned. PCB's polluted rivers, lakes, streams and ponds. There was DDT, which was a man-made insecticide during the 1950's and 1960's. Human exposure to high doses of DDT exposure resulted in people vomiting, caused them to have tremors and even seizures. It had a horrible effect on the liver of humans and on the reproduction of child-bearing age women.

I live in Connecticut where DDT was banned, fish returned to the rivers, but it was forbidden to catch them and keep them because of the contamination in their flesh from DDT. We lost al the Eagles because they would lay eggs but the shells were so fragile that most didn't survive to hatch. It took 30 years for the bald eagle to be spotted once again in our state.

Here's the thing, once a carcinogenic or other chemicals are introduced into the greater human population via water or air, there will be a toll, and that toll may take 20, 30 or 50 years to disappear. We humans are poisoning our planet and if we don't stop, there won't be a livable planet left to future generations.