Hundreds of millions of litres of reprocessed water from the fertilizer plant in central Florida are likely to have seeped into the Floridan aquifer after the massive sinkhole opened up. “And given how porous our aquifer can be, it can be hard to know where that water is going to end up”. And they say that happens because state lawmakers don’t hold them accountable, referring to lawmakers like Young, who has represented Hillsborough County in Florida’s House District 60 since 2010. The company said it has been “recovering the water by pumping through onsite production wells”.
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A large sinkhole has caused contaminated wastewater to flow into an aquifer in Polk County, Florida in the US.
The sinkhole allowed the water to migrate into The Floridan aquifer, a major source of drinking water in the state. So far, 70 of the plant’s neighbors have asked for the tests and water, according to the company.
“While monitoring to date indicates that the process water is being successfully contained, groundwater monitoring will continue to ensure there are no offsite or long-term effects”.
Mosaic has already paid more than billion to the EPA for its mishandling of hazardous waste at phosphate mines all over Florida and Louisiana from another case entirely unrelated. The nearest resident lives about 3 miles away.
“I deeply regret and apologize that I didn’t come forward and communicate with them sooner”.
The leak occurred after the 45-foot-wide opened under a gypsum stack at its plant in Mulberry on or before Aug 27.
“Understandably, some of our neighbors who live near the New Wales facility are concerned about water coming from their wells”, company spokeswoman Eileen Stuart said Monday. None of those agencies notified the public, either.
“To tie the support of a company to a candidate, or any alleged action or inaction by that company, is dirty politics at its worst”, Bascom said in an email sent to FloridaPolitics.
The department said it will continue to monitor groundwater supplies for any changes. They didn’t learn about the 215 million gallons of contaminated water that fell into the aquifer until the incident became public on Friday, three weeks later.
And it was on one of the gyp stacks that the sinkhole formed, unleashing that vast pond of tainted water. And every time it rains, more contaminated water will drain into the sinkhole until it is plugged and filled. “The acidic level of the water is roughly equivalent to vinegar or lemon juice”.
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Mosaic has estimated repairing the leak will cost the company $20 million to $50 million.
