Mulberry, Fla.—A sinkhole has developed at The Mosaic Co.’s phosphogypsum stack at its New Wales location in Polk County, the company has confirmed. It told the local press that some 215 million gallons of slightly radioactive water containing phosphoric acid has gone into the Floridan Aquifer. Mosaic said the stacks are equipped with a comprehensive monitoring system that provides an early warning of irregular conditions. It said on Aug. 27, 2016, water level monitoring showed a decline in the water levels for one of the two cells of the active stack, the west cell. Mosaic said it reported the water level decline to the relevant government authorities. Based on the nature of this water loss and on what it has learned so far, Mosaic said a sinkhole formed under the west cell that it believes damaged the liner system at the base of the stack. The pond on top of the cell drained as a result, although some seepage continues. Mosaic estimates that the hole is approximately 45 feet in diameter and believes the sinkhole did reach the aquifer. Mosaic immediately implemented additional and extensive groundwater monitoring and sampling regimens and has found no offsite impacts. Additionally, when the water loss was detected, Mosaic began pumping water out of the west cell and into an alternative holding area onsite to reduce the amount of drainage. At this time, Mosaic has begun the process of recovering the water by pumping through onsite production wells. Mosaic said it is working closely with regulators and updating them daily, and has called in top experts. It said it is developing a comprehensive corrective action plan to address and rectify the cause of the water loss. Mosaic continues to operate the New Wales facility and manufacture fertilizer. The company said there has been no interruption in operations as a result of this incident.
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