County eyes Piney Point incident for potential impacts
April 5, 2021 - Pinellas County government is closely monitoring wastewater discharges at the Piney Point facility in Manatee County but has not issued any warnings or advisories, as yet, for local beaches and inland waters. The wastewater seeping from the former phosphate plant is a mixture of saltwater from the Port Manatee dredge project, legacy process water and stormwater runoff and rainfall. Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency order for Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties because of the threat of an environmental catastrophe at the neglected property. The water being pumped from the site into Tampa Bay could lead to harmful algae blooms, fish kills and other environmental damage.