State Takes Action to Further Protect Tampa Bay

-- DEP-FPL partnership part of solution for abandoned phosphate plant --

TALLAHASSEE- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that Florida Power & Light (FPL) has volunteered to accept millions of gallons of treated water from an abandoned phosphate plant. Removal of treated water from the bankrupt Piney Point phosphogypsum stack operation greatly reduces the possibility of an uncontrolled and potentially disastrous overflow of harmful acidic process water into Tampa Bay .

"With the assistance of Florida Power & Light, we are making good progress towards preventing environmental harm,” said DEP Deputy Secretary for Regulatory Programs Allan Bedwell. “This multi-million gallon reuse operation helps protect the waters of Tampa Bay and saves taxpayers millions of dollars."

FPL has agreed to reuse highly treated process wastewater from Piney Point, a phosphate fertilizer plant abandoned by its owners in February 2001. In late November, tanker trucks began transferring treated water from Piney Point to FPL’s Manatee power plant in Parrish where it will be added to the plant’s 4,000-acre cooling pond and used as cooling water for plant processes. Extensive evaluations completed by FPL and DEP indicate the additions of treated process water, which must meet strict standards, will have no discernable impact on the water quality within the 14 billion gallon cooling pond.

The transfers are part of DEP’s aggressive clean up plan expected to consume an estimated 1.9 billion gallons of wastewater, rainfall run-off, and stack seepage over a five-year closure period. Together with the FPL transfers of up to 30 million gallons of treated water, the carefully planned effort also uses reverse osmosis technology to produce ultra-pure water for beneficial use or discharge, transfers process wastewater to the CF Industries fertilizer plant in Plant City, and transfers treated water to Manatee County wastewater plants and the Cargill fertilizer plant in Riverview.

Closure of the Piney Point gypsum stacks is underway with final closure of all stacks and ponds scheduled for completion in 2007.

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Resources for: Citizens Educators Businesses Government Information Calendar Contacts News Newsletters Organizational Chart Publications & Reports Unless indicated, documents on this Web site are Adobe Acrobat files, and require the free reader software.	Press Office FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 3, 2002 State Takes Action to Further Protect Tampa Bay -- DEP-FPL partnership part of solution for abandoned phosphate plant -- TALLAHASSEE- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that Florida Power & Light (FPL) has volunteered to accept millions of gallons of treated water from an abandoned phosphate plant. Removal of treated water from the bankrupt Piney Point phosphogypsum stack operation greatly reduces the possibility of an uncontrolled and potentially disastrous overflow of harmful acidic process water into Tampa Bay . "With the assistance of Florida Power & Light, we are making good progress towards preventing environmental harm,” said DEP Deputy Secretary for Regulatory Programs Allan Bedwell. “This multi-million gallon reuse operation helps protect the waters of Tampa Bay and saves taxpayers millions of dollars." FPL has agreed to reuse highly treated process wastewater from Piney Point, a phosphate fertilizer plant abandoned by its owners in February 2001. In late November, tanker trucks began transferring treated water from Piney Point to FPL’s Manatee power plant in Parrish where it will be added to the plant’s 4,000-acre cooling pond and used as cooling water for plant processes. Extensive evaluations completed by FPL and DEP indicate the additions of treated process water, which must meet strict standards, will have no discernable impact on the water quality within the 14 billion gallon cooling pond. The transfers are part of DEP’s aggressive clean up plan expected to consume an estimated 1.9 billion gallons of wastewater, rainfall run-off, and stack seepage over a five-year closure period. Together with the FPL transfers of up to 30 million gallons of treated water, the carefully planned effort also uses reverse osmosis technology to produce ultra-pure water for beneficial use or discharge, transfers process wastewater to the CF Industries fertilizer plant in Plant City, and transfers treated water to Manatee County wastewater plants and the Cargill fertilizer plant in Riverview. Closure of the Piney Point gypsum stacks is underway with final closure of all stacks and ponds scheduled for completion in 2007. -30- Sign up for DEP's Press Releases email:
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