Piney Point update: Storms add water, but leak still sealed. DeSantis to visit again

Sunday’s storms dropped another 2.8 inches of rain on the Piney Point industrial site in north Manatee County, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

A leak in the largest retention pond at the site remains a concern, but it has been temporarily patched with a steel plate, which remains secure, according to FDEP. The pond contains water polluted with nutrient byproducts of phosphate mining mixed with dredge material and saltwater from Port Manatee as well as rainwater. It sits atop a gypsum stack that could destabilize if an uncontrolled breach were to occur.

The agency estimated that Saturday’s rainfall of 0.6 inches added about 4 million gallons to the leaky pond and brought the total amount of liquid inside to 221 million gallons.

On Monday, FDEP still listed 221 million gallons as the total amount inside the leaky pond, despite the additional rainfall amount of 2.8 inches on Sunday. An FDEP spokesperson said the measurement was “the most updated approximated amount.”

On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis, local state lawmakers and other officials are expected to speak at a news conference at Piney Point “to provide updates” about the situation.

The weekend’s storms did not cause any damage to the Piney Point site, according to FDEP. The agency has installed piezometers, devices used to measure water pressure, around the perimeter of the leaky pond to make sure the stacks remain stable.

“This is part of ongoing monitoring in place to help ensure integrity of the stack system,” the agency said in an update.

Water quality monitoring continues in areas affected by controlled and uncontrolled discharges of polluted water last week. FDEP said that no fish kills had been reported in the area as of Monday.

This story was originally published April 12, 2021 at 7:51 PM.