PALMETTO, Fla. — Manatee County is extending its cleanup management contract at Piney Point as officials continue monitoring and treatment efforts tied to the former facility near Palmetto, five years after more than 200 million gallons of wastewater were released into Tampa Bay to prevent a catastrophic breach.
County officials said the work will continue beyond the facility’s expected final closure later this year. The Piney Point closure is scheduled for November or December, according to Manatee County Utilities Director Patrick Shea.
The 2021 leak triggered a state of emergency and evacuations for nearby residents after a tear in the liner of a large reservoir.
Rod Griffon, who lives off Bud Rhoden Road about three-quarters of a mile from Piney Point, said his family has lived on the property since the 1960s.
“I don’t want to say nervous. I just say more aggravated that the problem still exists,” Griffon said.
Griffon said his family did not evacuate during the 2021 emergency because their property sits at a higher elevation than Piney Point.
“We didn’t evacuate because I don’t know who thinks up the evacuation process, but we’re 20 feet higher in elevation than that place,” Griffon said. “So the fact of a collapse, that water is not going to get to my property. Therefore, we did not evacuate.”
Cleanup efforts have continued since the release. Manatee County opened a wastewater treatment plant and injection well in 2022.
The 2021 leak triggered a state of emergency and evacuations for nearby residents after a tear in the liner of a large reservoir.
Shea said the county will spend the next year measuring water flows and water quality to determine what level of treatment is needed and what a long-term approach should look like.
“So over the next year, we will measure flows, we’ll measure water quality to see what levels of treatment need to be done, and look for what really that long-term treatment regiment is, how the county can make it the most cost-effective as possible,” Shea said.
Shea said contaminated water will continue to come from the facility after its official closure because it remains in contact with the original remnants of Piney Point.
“That water will need to be treated,” Shea said.
Shea said he anticipates water seepage from Piney Point could last about 50 years before it is completely gone.
Griffon said he supports continuing the cleanup, but he is frustrated that taxpayers are covering the cost.
“I’m glad they extended it, because I don’t want them to not do it and let the problem get worse,” Griffon said. “But at the same time, they’re extending it at our cost, at us footing the bill. And it’s just a sad situation.”
County officials said they are continuing to work on a long-term solution to mitigate the water still coming from Piney Point.
Julia Hazel
Source link