Mosaic: Giant sinkhole repair finally complete

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It’s been a long haul, but Mosaic says the repairs are finally done at its New Wales plant.

Two years ago, a sinkhole opened under a gypsum stack and 215 million gallons of contaminated water made its way into the Florida aquifer.  

Neighbors of the plant worried that their water would be contaminated as well.

“It has been very frustrating because we have been concerned about the whole community and their wellbeing,” offered resident Joyce Hunter.

Now, two years after the spill, Mosaic says the repairs are complete.  Tons of grout and fill were used to plug the hole, at a cost of $84 million.

Spokesman David Jellerson says Mosaic is confident in the fix.

“We took many core samples to show that the grout injections were successful holding with the soils,” he stated.

The company also says extensive testing shows no contaminated escaped from Mosaic property.

“We maintain -- and the data demonstrates -- that we have been able to recover contaminants and no one’s drinking water will be jeopardized,” Jellerson continued.

He says Mosaic will continue to monitor the wells of residents within a four-mile radius to make sure it stays that way.

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