MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — It's been years since a leaking pond at a phosphate plant in Manatee County forced the state to drain more than 200 million gallons of contaminated water into Tampa Bay.
Environmental leaders said the spill led to algae blooms and fish kills.
Two years later, Manatee County officials are hopeful the leaks are a problem of the past with a new well injection system they said will help close the Piney Point facility for good.
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Commercial fisherman Rod Griffon doesn't live too far from Piney Point. After the wastewater spill prompted a state of emergency, he became weary of drinking from his well water and said he's had to change the way he now does business.
"The well has been here for 30 years, but Piney Point is when we quit drinking it," Griffon said. "It has pushed us out of the bay to where we have to put most of our traps offshore because I am reluctant to fish in the bay now."
Griffon is all in favor of action being taken by the local government to shut down Piney Point, but the plan that's currently in place comes with personal reservations.
"In and of itself, I am not opposed to this deep well injection they're doing, but I'm just hoping that we're not being sold a bag of goods like we have on so many other issues with this site," Griffon said.
Herbert Donica feels confident about the current resolution. He's the court-appointed receiver for Piney Point.
Donica explained crews will take a million gallons a day through filtration systems and into the injection well that sits 3,300 feet beneath the surface, which he said is below the aquifer.
"What we have on this side is a filtration unit that takes out what we call suspended solids—any dirt, dust or debris that might fall into the open pond before it's transmitted into the deep injection well," Donica said.
Donica explained the intricate process of the well injection.
It begins with water from the new gypstacks that flow into two holding tanks. From there, it's sent through pipes to another tank before being sent to a filtration system.
The filtration system then pulls out the remaining solids in order to make the water suitable to be pumped into the well. After the water is deemed suitable, it is passed to another tanker to test the PH levels.
Once cleared, it's sent through a system under Buckeye Road and injected into the well.
It's a process Donica feels good about but Justin Bloom still has his concerns.
"There should be a plan for a proper closure at Piney Point that follows federal law. They're not doing that. They are short-cutting," Bloom said.
Bloom is a board member of Tampa Bay Water Keepers and the founder and member of the board of Suncoast Waterkeeper.
He and his family live feet from the water and said this way of clearing out Piney Point isn't thorough enough.
"I think the plan should be: you get the best experts, you get the best scientists, the best engineering. You put them all together. You come up with a plan that follows federal law under the Research Conservation Recovery Act and then you go forward," Bloom said.
Like Bloom, Griffon would like more communication and details about the water quality from local leaders.
For now, they're hoping this solution sticks.
Donica said he's confident the injection wells will keep the community safe and prevent issues like what was seen two years ago.
"The community will not be faced with that problem anymore," Donica said.
