Piney Point Phosphogypsum Stack Emergency Discharge Update

From Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County:

June 19, 2021

Piney Point Phosphogypsum Stack Emergency Discharge

What is the Piney Point facility and where is it located?

Piney Point is part of a closed inactive phosphate facility in Manatee County. Lined ponds on top of the old gypsum stack contain stormwater, seawater and remnant process water from former operations.

What agency has primary jurisdiction?

The State FDEP is the primary Agency with Jurisdiction over its regulation. EPC has No authority or jurisdiction over this site in Manatee County.

What happened at Piney Point?

• On March 26, 2021, site staff discovered a leak which, according to Piney Point staff and their engineers, created a risk of an uncontrolled failure/collapse and discharge offsite. According to Piney point staff and their engineers, the likely cause of the breach and process water leakage is a tear/rupture in the pond liner in the South Gypsum Stack.

• On March 29, 2021, the FDEP issued an Emergency Order to allow the discharge of the water from the pond with the suspected tear to Port Manatee. The discharge is allowed only as needed to avert the collapse of the pond and make necessary repairs. The FDEP states that “…this Action is necessary to prevent loss of life, personal injury, or severe property damage."
• On April 9, 2021, the emergency discharge from Piney Point ceased. Any future discharges will be treated to FDEP approved levels prior to release.

What are the environmental concerns?

The primary pollutants of concern for this discharge are phosphorus and nitrogen, which may stimulate and trigger an algae bloom response and cause adverse effects on seagrass, fish, and other wildlife.

Click here for the full press release, including a map of water quality monitoring station locations in relation to the Piney Point discharge and online resources for the most current information.

This press release was produced by the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County. The views expressed are the author's own.