Environment

A little more than a week after fears of a contaminated water flood led to a state of emergency, officials say they’ve been able to stop dumping wastewater from the old Piney Point phosphate mine.

Drones from a company called Videophotog Productions were put into the sky around the clock, giving local and state officials the up-close view they needed to see the reservoir. Now they're being put to work to scan our waterways for any changes

Legislation hailed as some of the most robust yet to defend U.S. coasts against sea-level rise is headed to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a proposal that would provide millions of dollars annually to communities threatened with losing ground to rising oceans because of climate change.

The threat of a large-scale breach of contaminated water is over at the old Piney Point phosphate plant but concerns remain over water leaking from the holding ponds and the proposed solutions to fix short and long-term problems.

Environmental experts remain concerned about the Piney Point leak and its lasting impact on marine life. A team of USF scientists will head out on a research vessel Wednesday to collect water samples.

Wildlife advocates say they’re worried about a chain reaction coming for marine life, and they said they fear their hard work to restore the bay’s quality and what lives there will be shattered.

As crews continue to drain contaminated water from the former Piney Point phosphate plant, the risk of a sudden collapse and subsequent flood is diminishing. Officials now say it will be safe for evacuated neighbors to return home Tuesday evening.

State and local government officials say they’ll hold the Piney Point site owner, HRK Holdings, responsible for the environmental cleanup following the leak of polluted water into Tampa Bay and surrounding waters. But that may be easier said than done.

Florida lawmakers have proposed spending $200 million to clean up and close the wastewater reservoir that triggered evacuations of homes and businesses amid fears it would burst open and cause massive flooding.

As the Piney Point wastewater pond drains, environmental concerns grow. Fishing guides on Anna Maria Island say they noticed changes on the front side of Joe’s Island up to Port Manatee two days ago.

Sen. Marco Rubio called Piney Point "a ticking time bomb," Monday but stopped short of assigning blame.

As contaminated water is slowly pumped out of the leaking Piney Point wastewater pond, the risk of a full breach and flooding decreases. But the threat to the environment is growing with every gallon that's piped into Tampa Bay.

As crews rush to stabilize the Piney Point wastewater leak in Manatee County, many residents who are new to Florida may be hearing about this environmental dilemma for the first time. But it’s not a new issue and the current crisis is years in the making.

With 316 homes under an evacuation notice in Manatee County, some residents are staying behind while others have left. 

An evacuation order has been issued for a half-mile radius south and a 1-mile radius north of the old Piney Point fertilizer plant wastewater holding reservoir.

The engineer of record for HRK Holdings, which manages the Piney Point phosphogypsum stack, says an uncontrolled release is a "real possibility at this stage," prompting commissioners to declare a local state of emergency in Manatee County.