Questions and Answers
Why are we here?
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is working
with the Florida Department of Health and the Hillsborough County
Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) to investigate environmental
and health concerns in a Plant City neighborhood.
The agencies are sharing information with residents about a health
assessment and environmental evaluation of the area surrounding
Coronet Industries, Inc. The agencies are conducting an extensive
site investigation to determine if there are any substances in the
air and water that are an environmental or health concern.
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What is the site used for?
The area under investigation has been an industrial site since
the early 1900s. Coronet began operating at the site in 1908 as
a phosphate mining company before environmental laws guided industrial
activity. The facility has changed ownership several times and has
been under current ownership since 1993. Coronet now produces an
animal feed supplement from phosphate rock brought in from other
facilities.
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Who regulates Coronet?
The facility operates under federal, state and local permits
and must manage its operations in accordance with Florida’s environmental
regulations.
The DEP shares environmental regulatory responsibilities with
the Hillsborough County EPC. DEP is responsible for protecting land
and water from waste and pollution and oversees any necessary cleanup.
EPC regulates storage tanks and air emissions. Both agencies conduct
scheduled and unannounced site inspections.
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What is taking place at the site?
The agencies are assessing activities at the facility and in
the surrounding area:
Water Monitoring:
- DEP is working with the facility to expand an existing Groundwater
Monitoring Program. Monitoring wells at the site are sampled
and analyzed for pollutants to determine if processes at the
site are affecting groundwater. Additional monitoring wells
are being installed at the edges of Coronet’s southern property
line to determine whether pollutants are migrating off the site.
Waste Cleanup
- An environmental assessment conducted following a 1999 hydrofluoric
acid release revealed other pollutants at the site.
- DEP is requiring the facility to conduct a contamination
assessment, which will determine if pollutants are affecting
soil and groundwater. DEP will require the company to clean
up any pollution posing a risk to human health and the environment.
Site Management
- DEP and EPC are addressing existing water, storage tank
and air violations at the site.
- Coronet entered into a legal agreement with DEP, which requires
the facility to address permit violations and improve industrial
processes.
- The facility is assessing its onsite holding ponds, which
store wastewater and stormwater, and evaluating water quality
within the ponds, at pond outfalls and in nearby creeks and
streams.
- DEP is requiring that the company improve the structural
integrity of the holding ponds and upgrade treatment and management
of water on the site.
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Why are the agencies testing drinking
water?
DEP and the Department of Health are testing residential drinking
water wells within a ¼ mile radius of the Coronet Facility to ensure
that the water meets safe drinking water standards. The Department
of Health is notifying residents of the results.
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What are groundwater contaminants
and how do they get into drinking well water?
Groundwater contaminants are substances that make the water unsafe
for drinking. The state has set safe drinking levels for each substance.
These levels are known as Maximum Contaminant Levels. When levels
are under these limits they are considered safe to drink. Some chemicals
are found in wells because of agricultural, industrial and lawn
care activities.
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What happens if drinking water is affected?
If sampling results indicate that drinking water has elevated
levels of potentially harmful substances, DEP can provide alternative
sources of drinking water. To qualify for this program, contaminants
detected in the drinking water must exceed safe drinking water levels,
a Health Advisory Level, or be determined by the Department of Health
as a health hazard.
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How is water management being improved
at the site?
Stormwater and wastewater is collected and stored in a series
of holding ponds located on Coronet's property, which were constructed
in the early 1900s. To protect the neighborhood and nearby waterways,
DEP is working with the company to improve pond structure and the
management of water at the site.
For safety purposes, water levels currently in the ponds must
be reduced. The facility is permitted to discharge treated water
from the ponds during wet weather and under specific permit conditions.
Before discharging, the water is treated using a single lime process.
Residents along English Creek were recently notified by Coronet
that authorized, controlled discharges of treated wastewater were
taking place due to extensive rainfall. DEP is monitoring the activity
to ensure the discharge meets permitted conditions. DEP is sampling
water at the pond outfalls and along nearby waterways to ensure
that the controlled discharges do not affect the environment.
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Who can I contact for more information?
The Department has established a question line for concerned
residents: 1-813-744-6100, extension 481.
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