Manatee County commissioners revisit Piney Point cleanup contract after deadlocked vote

PALMETTO, Fla. - Manatee County commissioners voted Tuesday to tap into funds held by a court-appointed receiver to cover a cleanup contract amendment at the former Piney Point phosphate plant, averting the immediate use of new local tax dollars.

Piney Point cleanup vote

What we know:

Manatee County commissioners voted 4-1, allowing the county to pull $6.4 million from a court-appointed receiver. 

Commissioner Dr. Bob McCann cast the lone dissenting vote. The money, expected to be available by December, will fund the current site contractor, CIP, for the next year while local leaders map out a long-term strategy.

The backstory:

The decision follows a deadlocked meeting last week regarding a $23.4 million budget deficit tied to the project. County officials stated that the state of Florida failed to deliver all the financial reimbursements it pledged back in 2021. 

That initial funding was promised after a massive disaster at the facility pumped hundreds of millions of gallons of polluted wastewater into Tampa Bay, forcing the governor to declare a state of emergency.

For five years, the county has managed the contaminated water using a deep well injection facility. The system pumps polluted water deep below the Florida aquifer to keep the region's primary drinking source safe. 

The $23.4 million shortage stems from the initial construction of that injection site. CIP requested a rate increase due to rising maintenance costs, which prompted Tuesday's vote.

What they're saying:

"This is kind of what we asked for as the current best-case scenario while we figure out the long-term options that we have," Commissioner George Kruse said. "We keep CIP there. They're already mobilized. They know the site. They are already working. It keeps them working. It keeps them whole."

Kruse noted the stopgap buys a year to evaluate whether the county should take over operations internally or sign a long-term agreement with CIP without draining local reserves.

"That buys us time for a year and then, if staff feel that they're competent enough and confident enough to operate the well of their own and save us some money, that is an option I'm open to," Commissioner Tal Siddique said. "Because, if we can operate a dam, why can't we not operate a well, deep injection well."

Siddique expressed reservations about future tax funding but emphasized the immediate need to protect residents. 

"I still do have a problem with tax dollars going towards this [possibly in the long-term], but I think in the short term, we do owe our residents the ability to reduce the risk of groundwater contamination. Certainly, that's a DEP problem, but hey, if they cut our taxable value, then it is their problem going forward. In the short-term, at least, this activity is going on. I think you'd be in the best interest of our citizens to make sure that this water does not seep. There's no imminent threat. I want to be clear. We at least owe our citizens the ability to know that the groundwater contamination will not happen," Siddique said.

Some commissioners argue taxpayers should not fund a mess they did not create, while others warn walking away could trigger worse water contamination issues.

Unresolved funding questions

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet confirmed how the county will secure a permanent funding solution to keep the facility running beyond the next 12 months. The county has not decided whether staff will take over the deep well injection operations internally or negotiate a new multiyear agreement with CIP once this temporary contract expires.

Long-term facility planning

What's next:

County staff members are currently working alongside the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the court-appointed receiver to hammer out a permanent financial strategy. Officials have also initiated talks regarding how the county will be reimbursed for the outstanding $23.4 million construction deficit.

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