Florida Residents Could Face A 20ft Flood of Toxic Water

Simon Daily 0 2 min read

Governor DeSantis called for a state of emergency in Manatee County after a leak was discovered in the side of a toxic pond/lake used by fertilizer manufacturer, Mulberry Corporation. The corporation went bankrupt back in 2001 and the property has since been taken over by HRK Holdings. They intended to use the property as a shipping Terminal. But for some reason, they have done nothing to purify the 480 million gallon lake of toxic wastewater that could cause a 20ft wall of water to engulf the surrounding area, which has over 300 homes.  Governor DeSantis is hard at work trying to drain the toxic water.

“Our first priority is public health and safety. Teams on the ground are laser-focused on addressing this issue, and I have directed Secretary Valenstein to work with Manatee County and utilize all available resources to form a permanent solution to this longstanding issue,” said Governor DeSantis. “I have also deployed the National Guard and they are in the process of dropping off additional pumps via aircraft on top of the berms, to help decrease the water levels in the Piney Point reservoir at an even faster pace. The State is committed to holding HRK and all involved parties accountable.”

“Our teams are working around the clock to mitigate risks and ensure emergency preparedness in the area that could experience flooding, should an uncontrolled breach occur. It is clear that this facility must be closed. I want to assure Floridians that we are dedicated to holding HRK accountable for this issue through enforcement action,” said DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein.

“At the division, we are sending every resource at our disposal to the site by truck, crane, and helicopter. We have already deployed 20 pumps, 10 vacuum trucks, and more than 100,000 bottles of water, with more on the way. I urge residents in the area to follow all warnings and evacuation orders from local officials as we do everything we can to keep you safe,” said FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz.”

“The leak in the containment wall was discovered about a week ago, and residents in the area were evacuated on Thursday, officials said.

On Friday, crews worked overnight in an attempt to fix the leak, but those attempts were unsuccessful, Sauer said.
He said a portion of the containment wall at the leak site had shifted laterally, and on-site engineers deemed the situation to be escalating, and all command staff and residents were told to evacuate.
Those two ponds hold “waste that would be less conducive to life on land and … life in the sea,” Hopes said, without elaborating on the specific waste material.”

“Officials are reportedly most concerned about potential flooding, and said that the water is only “slightly acidic.”

“The water meets water quality standards for marine waters with the exception of pH, total phosphorous, total nitrogen, and total ammonia nitrogen. It is slightly acidic, but not at a level that is expected to be a concern, nor is it expected to be toxic.”

There were also claims that uranium and radium found in the toxic water. If you were to judge how toxic the water is by the response, it seems likely that this toxic water is worse than they are claiming it is. This should have been handled by now. Mulberry Corporation has been gone for 20 years and HRK Holding has owned the property for quite a while now. Taxpayers shouldn’t have to cover the cost of this emergency.

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