Due to a leaky sewer basin, the US state of Florida is threatened with an environmental disaster. Over the Easter weekend, authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 300 houses near the basin in Manatee County. The crack in the 33-hectare and eight-meter-deep basin was discovered last week.
The National Guard and other rescue workers pumped 125 million liters of the contaminated sewage from the basin in Piney Point, which belongs to a disused phosphate mine, announced Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Governor declares a state of emergency
There was a leak in the plastic lining of the sewage basin, which continued to widen. Attempts to seal the break have so far been unsuccessful, as it was said. The emergency services tried “to avert a really catastrophic flood situation and to react if necessary,” said DeSantis at a press conference. He had previously made a picture of the situation on a helicopter flight. Even before the flight, DeSantis had declared a state of emergency for the area in order to free up crisis funds.
Dangerous algae blooms in the sea feared
The leak threatens to spill millions of liters of contaminated water into nearby homes and Tampa Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The wastewater is mainly polluted with phosphorus and nitrogen. Environmentalists warned that if the nutrient-rich water seeps into the ocean, it could cause dangerous algal blooms that are suffocating fish and other marine life. Effects on tourism are also feared.
Toxic substances like arsenic, lead and mercury
In the event of a flood, the wastewater could also run into storage facilities in which phosphogypsum, a by-product of fertilizer production, is stored. Phosphorus gypsum is considered radioactive because of its radon isotope content. It also contains toxic metals such as arsenic, lead and mercury.
If the basin were to break completely, “more than 340 million gallons” (1.29 billion liters) of wastewater could be released into the environment in a matter of minutes, warned Manatee County’s administrative chief Scott Hopes. In this case, he says, a rolling “wall of water” six meters high would arise. As a precaution, inmates and staff from a nearby detention center were moved upstairs, according to Hopes.
“Situation unacceptable”
DeSantis said HRK Holdings, the operating company of the closed mine, must be held accountable. The resulting situation is “unacceptable and it is nothing we will allow it to continue,” assured the governor. Upon request, HRK initially did not comment on the matter.
Florida’s chief agricultural officer, Nicole Fried, wrote to DeSantis that the mine, some 40 miles away from the city of Tampa, had been damaging the environment and health for more than 50 years. There were also repeated problems with the plastic lining of the sewage basin.
Local councilor Hopes said Manatee County authorities wanted to find a “permanent fix” for the sewage basins of the disused mine after dealing with the current emergency. To do this, all basins should be pumped empty and then probably sealed.
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