Is Tampa Bay DOOMED? Piney Point Red Tide investigation (Pt 1.)

April 8th 2021 - Will Tampa Bay die in a massive red tide event spurred by the release of HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF GALLONS of phosphate mining waste water (phosphogypsum ) into Piney Point creek? In this episode of Head First Fishing, I do a little searching and try to see if there is a difference in water quality on the Southeast shore of Tampa Bay around Port Manatee. I begin in Fort De Soto on the Pinellas County side, then move over to the Manatee county side and compare Miguel Bay, Bishops Harbor, Port Manatee Flats, and Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve.

The looming issue is the red tide that feeds on the phosphorous laden water from the phospho-gypsum stack. As summer approaches, the timing could have not been worse. The red tide shows up in the spring and spreads as the water temperature rises. To date, there are already pockets of it to the South of Tampa Bay. We could see massive fish kills and loss of sea grass habitat. Marine mammals and reptiles are also at risk, as well as the local human population's health.

"According to the state Department of Environmental Protection, the incident was first reported on March 26, when the DEP discovered a leak in a large pond of wastewater at Piney Point, a former phosphate plant.
The DEP said the break was detected in one wall of the 77-acre pond, which holds millions of gallons of wastewater from the Piney Point facility. "The facility was releasing wastewater into Piney Point Creek which leads into Tampa Bay," the Florida DEP wrote in a press release.

On April 2, the DEP issued an update on the situation, saying it ordered HRK Holdings, the company that owns the water treatment facility, "to take immediate action and implement necessary steps to ensure integrity of the system. This authorization includes the release of controlled discharges."

The statement continued, "Around 4 p.m. on April 2, 2021, a breakout of seepage in the east wall of the NGS south containment area was observed. This water is the same mixed seawater in the reservoir. These discharges are currently contained in the onsite lined stormwater system."

In response to the reported incident, the Public Safety Department in Manatee County, where the reservoir is located, sent out an emergency evacuation notice for any residents within a half-mile radius of the Piney Point reservoir. Later that day, the department issued another emergency evacuation notice extending to "one mile north of the Piney Point phosphogypsum stack."

On April 3, the DEP wrote in an update that "officials were notified that there was a possible imminent breach of the south reservoir at the facility." From MSN.COM

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