Hundreds of gallons of hydraulic fluid spill at Mosaic’s Wingate mine, state reports

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is reporting that 295 gallons of hydraulic fluid spilled into Mosaic’s Wingate mine’s water system on Wednesday before crews realized what happened and were able to stop the leak.

DEP inspectors say the leak was due to a broken hydraulic hose on the dredge equipment and was contained within the mine’s internal water system.

A DEP public notice of the spill said, “No material was released offsite. Upon discovery, leak was stopped and sorbent pads/booms were installed to capture any residual hydraulic fluid.”

The spill occurred on the eastern edge of the phosphate mining site, which sits in between the East Fork Manatee River and West Fork Horse Creek, as well as the nearby Wingate Creek.