Do you need to evacuate? Here’s what to know about the Piney Point environmental crisis
UPDATE: Mandatory evacuation orders for homes surrounding Piney Point have been lifted, and U.S. 41 has reopened to traffic. Buckeye Road remains closed from U.S. 41 to Oneil Road. Check the Bradenton Herald homepage for the latest updates on Piney Point.
Piney Point, a former phosphate processing plant in Manatee County, has drawn international focus in recent days as an imminent breach at the toxic industrial site threatens catastrophe for residents and the environment.
Millions of gallons of untreated, polluted water are being pumped from Piney Point into Tampa Bay in a last-ditch effort to prevent total disaster. And there remains a real possibility of an uncontrolled breach at the site, which would result in potential flooding and contamination of surrounding land, homes, businesses and environmentally sensitive habitats.
How is the crisis affecting Manatee and surrounding areas? Here are some important questions and answers:
Do I need to evacuate?
As of Sunday, officials had issued emergency evacuation orders for Chapman Road to Airport Road and U.S. 41 to O’Neill Road, an area affecting 316 homes.
Manatee County residents who are unsure whether they need to evacuate can dial 311 for assistance or check the status of their residence online at mymanatee.org/residents/information.
Officials stress that it’s crucial for residents in the area to take the evacuation order seriously. On Sunday, Acting Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes said that a worse-case scenario could send a 20-foot surge of water flooding from the site.
“If you’re in an evacuation area and you have not heeded that, you need to think twice,” Hopes said.
Manatee County will issue alerts to residents if the evacuation area around Piney Point expands.
What does ‘state of emergency’ mean?
Manatee County is under a local state of emergency issued by county commissioners. Manatee, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties are also under a state of emergency issued at the state level by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
A state of emergency is not a reason to panic, but rather a tool that allows officials to activate helpful services and gain access to extra resources during a crisis.
What roads are closed?
As of Sunday afternoon, U.S. 41 remained closed to northbound and southbound traffic between Valroy Road in Hillsborough County and Moccasin Wallow Road in Manatee County.
Is drinking or swimming water affected?
Manatee County officials say that even if a full breach occurs at the site, sources of public drinking water will be safe. Private well water should also be unaffected.
“There is no danger to Manatee County or Palmetto Utilities customers,” the county shared on social media. “Drinking water supplies are safe.”
In addition, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has stated that it is monitoring water quality at locations where the polluted water is being dumped, including Port Manatee.
FDEP “is coordinating with local stakeholders and we began water quality monitoring of Port Manatee on March 30 to protect human health and safety, and transparently communicate with the public as the situation evolves,” the agency said in a statement.
This story was originally published April 4, 2021 at 2:11 PM.