The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will host a public meeting at the Mulberry Civic Center in Mulberry, Fla., on Sept. 30 from 4-7 p.m. regarding the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) draft renewal permit for the Mosaic Fertilizer LLC’s Bartow Chemical Plant. DEP and Mosaic representatives will be available to answer questions and provide information.
DEP said the purpose of the meeting is to receive oral and written comments on the permit renewal. DEP noted that the Florida Administrative Code provides an opportunity for an extended public comment period and a public meeting whenever there is a significant degree of public interest in the draft NPDES permit.
Concerned citizens Norma Killibrew and Luz Elena Bueno said on Sept. 25 that three dozen Florida residents joined forces with them last spring to request the public hearing. They said another request was made regarding Mosaic’s Lonesome Mine, but it was dismissed for a technical reason, while another regarding Mosaic’s Four Corners Mine has remained in limbo since January.
“Before flowing into the Gulf, both the Peace and Alafia rivers and the aquifer are the main sources of drinking water for 10 counties and multiple cities, including North Port, Anna Maria, and Tampa,” said Ms. Bueno. “Every single public water provider in the region pulls drinking water from those sources. There is no independent water monitoring in place at the discharges to protect the public drinking water supply. Mosaic performs its own testing, self-reports, and even the company’s own monitoring wells show levels above compliance for multiple highly toxic and cancer-causing contaminants in the aquifer, including alpha radiation, radium, sulfate, fluoride, sodium, arsenic, and more.”
“In the Peace River, Mosaic is not even complying with its self-reporting requirement,” alleged Ms. Killibrew. “The company claims lack of access doesn’t allow it to test the waste dumped into the river. In addition, the waste discharged into the NP Alafia River exceeds the levels the DEP established in 2013 for chlorophyll a, which represents cyanobacteria in the water. So, while the beaches suffer the consequences of cyanobacteria infested water, the DEP is allowing Mosaic to dump cyanobacteria into the rivers before they flow into the Gulf.”
The permit opponents said the counties most affected are Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Desoto, Hardee, and Polk, with people living in central and southwest Florida potentially affected.
Mosaic had not responded to inquiries for comment at press time.
Written comments may also be sent to DEP’s Gordon D’Abreau at DWRMIW.PM@dep.state.fl.us, or mailed to his attention at 13051 N. Telecom Parkway, Ste. 101, Temple Terrace, Fla. 33637-0926.