Mosaic said they immediately notified the state Department of Environmental Protection and the EPA. The depth of the sinkhole is unknown. Phosphogypsum is a slightly radioactive by-product of fertilizer production.
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“One of our field technicians who’s job it is to monitor water levels in the ponds, when they were making their rounds they identified that there was a water level drop”, said David Jellerson, Senior Director of Environmental for Mosaic.
Each one of the containment ponds sit on top of a liner that keeps the contaminated water from going into the ground. Those agencies are also closely monitoring it and said as far as they can tell, the water has been successfully contained to the plant.
The process of water recovery is being done by pumping through onsite production wells.
Florida is home to the world largest phosphate mine, and now Mosaic wants to strip mine an additional 52,000 acres in Manatee, Hardee and De Soto counties. One of the highest producing aquifers in the world, it underlies all of Florida and extends into southern Alabama, Georgia, and SC.
Mosaic doesn’t believe the toxic water has leaked into the private wells of local residents, but would provide tests if requested by homeowners. Miller added that along with reviewing daily reports, the FDEP “is performing frequent site visits to make sure timely and appropriate response continues in order to safeguard public health and the environment”. The plant remains in operation and continues to manufacture fertilizer.
It took a week for Mosaic workers to figure out where all that water was going.
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“I can assure you nothing has left the immediate area of the sinkhole”, he said.
