Florida sinkhole sends contaminated water to water source

Wastewater from fertilizer plant contaminates vital ground water source

Catastrophe & Flood

By Allie Sanchez

Contaminated wastewater from a fertilizer plant in central Florida leaked into a major source of drinking water after a storage pond collapsed into a sinkhole.

According to Mosaic, the world’s largest supplier of phosphate, the hole opened beneath what is called a “gypsum stack,” releasing more than 200 million gallons of wastewater into the Floridian aquifer.

The sinkhole was discovered by a worker on August 27, but was previously unreported. The wastewater is believed to have reached the aquifer, which is a vast underground system of porous rocks that transport water across the underground.

The Floridian aquifer is a major source of drinking water, and one of the highest producing aquifers in the world. It also extends to Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. It is the principal source of water for a large part of the state.

Dee Ann Miller, spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, said Mosaic is providing regular updates to state and federal agencies on the situation.

“Along with reviewing daily reports, DEP is performing frequent site visits to make sure timely and appropriate response continues in order to safeguard public health and the environment,” Miller told reporters.  “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.”

The government has not halted Mosaic’s operations.

This is not the first time Mosaic had trouble with regulators. Less than a year ago, it settled a lawsuit with the US Environmental Protection Agency for $ 2 billion in fixes and clean-ups at its plants to cover decades of environmental damage from its operations.
 

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