FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 21, 2003
CONTACT: Dee Ann Miller, (850) 245-2112
DEP
Secures Additional Vessel for Ocean Dispersal
--Improved technology to increase water
removal from Piney Point--
TAMPA – To protect the public and the environment,
the Department of Environmental Protection is increasing
treatment and removal of process water from the abandoned
Piney Point phosphate plant in response to above normal
rainfall. As a result of recent upgrades and improvements,
the Department is treating a greater volume of water. To
accelerate its removal, the Department secured a second
vessel to disperse treated water over a wide area in the Gulf
of Mexico.
In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued
an emergency permit to allow the Department to disperse
treated water 120 miles offshore until November 30. The
emergency move was necessary to alleviate the threat of
dangerously high levels of acidic water caused by heavy rains
during the summer and hurricane season, which could breach
the containment dikes and cause a disastrous spill of harmful
acidic wastewater into Tampa Bay.
Since ocean dispersal commenced 3 months ago, a barge has
removed over 120 million gallons of treated water from the
site. Although more than 550 million gallons of water have
already been safely removed since the beginning of the year,
unprecedented rainfall over the last 12 months generated
millions of gallons of additional wastewater at the site.
The additional vessel is part of a multi-faceted plan to
reduce the volume of wastewater at Piney Point and close the
site, which will eliminate the ongoing environmental and
public safety risk posed by the abandoned facility. Along
with ocean dispersal, the Department is treating and
transporting water to wastewater treatment plants and nearby
industry for beneficial reuse.
Recently, the Department announced a new rule to better
protect Florida’s environment and Florida’s taxpayers. The
proposed rule will establish a higher level of confidence
that Florida’s phosphate companies have the financial
capacity to clean-up and close facilities even in the event
of bankruptcy.
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Press Office
