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Failure at Piney Point: A disaster foretold
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2021/04/17/failure-at-piney-point-a-disaster-foretold/PALMETTO — As early as 2008, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was predicting possible disaster at the old Piney Point phosphate plant in Manatee County if a plan to use the site for dredging went forward.
The “worst case scenario,” the Army Corps cautioned, would be a tear in the plastic liner that engineers were counting on to hold back water perched atop dangerous waste material. Another worry the Army Corps raised: What if the private company in charge went bankrupt?
Since the latest leak was first noticed, a familiar pattern has emerged. Everyone involved is pointing fingers elsewhere. But records show officials at all levels — the state, the company, the county — had a hand in what Piney Point became. The county backed an idea to put more waste at Piney Point, the company looked at an environmental risk and saw a chance to profit, and the state stood by as a looming environmental danger festered on its watch.
“What we’ve learned is there’s no such thing as a future beneficial use of a phosphogypsum stack. These are wastelands, and they’ll be wastelands for generations to come,” Compton said. “The price is being paid by the taxpayers and the environment.”
The “worst case scenario,” the Army Corps cautioned, would be a tear in the plastic liner that engineers were counting on to hold back water perched atop dangerous waste material. Another worry the Army Corps raised: What if the private company in charge went bankrupt?
Since the latest leak was first noticed, a familiar pattern has emerged. Everyone involved is pointing fingers elsewhere. But records show officials at all levels — the state, the company, the county — had a hand in what Piney Point became. The county backed an idea to put more waste at Piney Point, the company looked at an environmental risk and saw a chance to profit, and the state stood by as a looming environmental danger festered on its watch.
“What we’ve learned is there’s no such thing as a future beneficial use of a phosphogypsum stack. These are wastelands, and they’ll be wastelands for generations to come,” Compton said. “The price is being paid by the taxpayers and the environment.”
A long (but accurate article) showing what happens when the repubs let irresponsible companies run wild. If you live in Florida, you see endless commercials from phosphate companies showing birds and fish and trees...while they absolutely ruin the environment and leave the mess to taxpayers.
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