A former Piney Point phosphate plant in Florida that was leaking in late March/early April (GM April 16, p. 1), sending wastewater into Tampa Bay, should be declared an “imminent and substantial endangerment” to public health and the environment, conservation groups said on June 24 in a federal lawsuit, according to Bloomberg Law.
A breach in the 480-million-gallon reservoir at the site forced the state to divert 215 million gallons of wastewater to avoid a catastrophic flood in nearby communities. Florida will spend up to $100 million to start closing the plant, according to a state budget that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed earlier this month.
Pollutants in the discharges are contributing to a growing algae bloom in Tampa Bay and neighboring waterways, according to the lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, Suncoast Waterkeeper, ManaSota-88, and Our Children’s Earth Foundation.
The suit was filed “to ensure Piney Point is operated and closed in a manner that complies with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and abates the present imminent and substantial endangerment to human health and the environment, including endangered species such as manatees and sea turtles,” the plaintiffs said in the suit.
DeSantis, the acting secretary of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, the Manatee County Port Authority, and the site’s owner, HRK Holdings LLC, are all named as defendants.
Neither DeSantis’ office nor an HRK Holdings spokesman immediately responded to a request for comment.
A class action lawsuit was already filed against property owner HRK Holdings in April in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida in Manatee County Circuit Court (GM April 30, p. 30).