What’s next for Piney Point? Here’s what you need to know now about the issues
Less than a week after a potential environmental disaster displaced more than 130 Manatee County residents from their homes and into hotels, the evacuation order was lifted. People are now allowed to return home in the vicinity of the Piney Point retention pond that sprung a leak of contaminated water.
The emergency left county and state leaders scrambling to contain the breach at the former phosphate plant, which had the potential to cause a 20-foot surge of water and flooding in the surrounding area.
Now that the threat to human life and property has diminished with the wastewater being diverted into Tampa Bay, here’s a look at what you need to know with the latest on the Piney Point saga:
What roads are closed?
Highway U.S. 41 has reopened to traffic, but Buckeye Road remains closed from U.S. 41 to Oneil Road.
What is the threat of flooding?
An updated flood projection from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers forecasts only minor flooding to the HRK Holding LLC. site, where Piney Point is located, nearby farmland and parts of Buckeye Road.
How much water from the breach is left to be pumped out?
About 273 million gallons were still in the south pond, as of Wednesday morning, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Over the weekend, it contained more than 450 million gallons before the breach.
What happens to the rest of the contaminated water?
Manatee County commissioners have voted to approve an injection well as the solution for getting rid of the remaining polluted water.
How does this affect Tampa Bay?
While there are still many unknowns on the impact to the bay, state agencies and environmental groups are preparing to respond to potential fallout such as harmful algae blooms and other impacts on Florida’s largest estuary.
How does this affect drinking water?
State and Manatee County officials say that public drinking water supplies are safe, and private wells should also be unaffected.
What about water quality?
The primary concern with the untreated water leaking from Piney Point is elevated levels of nutrients that could be harmful to the environment and potentially cause algae blooms. However, officials say that the water is not radioactive.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is partnering with Tampa Bay area governments and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program to monitor water quality at locations possibly affected by the Piney Point breach. FDEP has launched an interactive dashboard where the public can view daily water sampling results.
Where can I find out more?
- FDEP is releasing daily water quality results from the area affected by the Piney Point breach. Visit: floridadep.gov/dear/dear/content/tampa-bay-sampling-response-and-results.
The Tampa Bay Estuary Program has launched an interactive dashboard to share potential impacts of the Piney Point breach on water quality and marine life. Visit: shiny.tbep.org/piney-point.
- Protecting Florida Together, a state-sponsored water quality initiative, shares daily updates about the state’s emergency response. Visit: protectingfloridatogether.gov/PineyPointUpdate.
- Manatee County is also sharing Piney Point updates online. Visit: mymanatee.org/pineypoint.
- And, stay with the Bradenton Herald for the latest news updates on Piney Point.
This story was originally published April 7, 2021 at 2:16 PM.
