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SECOND potential breach is found at Florida reservoir as officials race to drain it before it s wall collapses and catastrophic 20ft wall of polluted water is released over Tampa Bay
A reservoir at Piney Point in Tampa has been leaking millions of gallons of water per day for a week
The reservoir sits on stacks of radioactive phosphogypsum - a byproduct of a nearby fertilizer plant
Officials say it is not radioactive, but that it could cause catastrophic flooding to nearby homes
It could also pollute water and kill fish if the reservoir breaches and floods into nearby streams
An evacuation order is in place in the surrounding area and others, outside it, say they are ready to flee
Crews working to avoid collapse of retention pond at the former Piney Point mine. (
The US State of Florida is under a state of emergency since Saturday after a massive and potentially “catastrophic” leak from an old phosphate mine’s tailings pond threatened to burst a system storing millions of gallons of water containing radioactive materials.
Officials have evacuated more than 300 homes and closed off a highway near the now shut Piney Point mine’s reservoir in the Tampa Bay area, north of Bradenton.
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Aerial images aired on local television showed water pouring from leaks in the walls of the retention pond.
Is the wastewater radioactive?
According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the wastewater at Piney Point is not radioactive. The biggest concern with the wastewater that is being released into Tampa Bay is the high level of nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen, which can feed red tide. If a red tide were to occur, it could lead to environmental complications such as low oxygen levels that can lead to fish kills.
The Piney Point wastewater in question is primarily saltwater from the Port Manatee dredge project, mixed with legacy fertilizer production process water and rain.
Do Manatee County, Pinellas County or Tampa residents need to worry about their drinking water?