Latest updates on Piney Point reservoirs

Manatee County lifts local evacuation order related to Piney Point water breach

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (April 6, 2021) – Hours after local and state officials reopened U.S. 41 to traffic, a local evacuation order was lifted this afternoon giving local residents and businesses permission to return home safely tonight. The news comes as new data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shows a diminished risk for an uncontrolled breach of water from the Piney Point gyp stacks located at 13300 U.S. Highway 41 in north Manatee County.

Buckeye Road will remain closed to traffic for the immediate future. FedEx vehicles will be able to access the FedEx distribution center off U.S. 41 via Buckeye Road.. The County's Emergency Operations Center will transition to a Level 2 activation with only essential personnel at the EOC.

"We’re now ending our fifth day since learning of a breach at the site, and I am in awe over the state, federal and local cooperation to ensure the safety of our residents," said Commission Chairman Vanessa Baugh. "I am so pleased that the interruption to life as usual in North Manatee is minimal and that our residents and business owners can return safely to the area tonight."

"This is a response that spans across all levels of government. We are committed to ensuring this is the last chapter of the Piney Point story and holding HRK accountable," said DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein. "Thanks to the dedicated work of statewide responders, today's announcement to lift evacuation orders in the surrounding area is a benchmark of the progress being made around the clock."

Added County Administrator Scott Hopes, "I know I’m going to sleep better. Those residents that were displaced, we're glad it was short lived. We’ve dramatically reduced the risk in a significant way."

Earlier today, County Commissioners unanimously authorized the use of a deep injection well on County-owned property directly south of the Piney Point site across Buckeye Road. That action gives the Commission total control over the well and allows the County to dictate the quality of the water before it goes into the well.

"The residents and business owners of North Manatee can rest assured that the water atop the stacks will be treated before it is transferred to the deep injection well and then capped to ensure no other water enters the well," Baugh said.

DEP also launched an interactive water quality dashboard at www.protectingfloridatogether.gov/PineyPointUpdate

State, local officials confident in latest Piney Point outflow modeling, will open U.S. 41 immediately

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (April 6, 2021) – After a preliminary meeting on developments at Piney Point with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Emergency Management, Manatee County Public Safety officials feel confident to re-open U.S. 41. Highway 41 was shut down last week as part of a broad evacuation zone. The evacuation orders have been lifted as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6. 

State and local agencies involved in the Piney Point response will host a press conference today, April 6 at 4 p.m. at the Public Safety Center, 2101 47th Terrace E, Bradenton, to announce additional developments that take place during the day.

The Department of Environmental Protection has created a website with a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the Piney Point discharge. The site can be found at www.protectingfloridatogether.gov/PineyPointUpdate

In order to avoid confusion and to make sure consistent messaging occurs, all media updates will be provided during the press conference and on the County's two primary Twitter feeds, @mcgpublicsafety and @manateegov.

U.S. Army Corps, EPA arrive to assess Piney Point

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (April 5, 2021) – The steady, safe drawdown of water continues at the Piney Point gyp stack today as Army Corps of Engineer and Environmental Protection Agency representatives arrived to perform a full assessment of the site. Within the next 24 hours, federal engineering teams are expected to provide a full update on the remaining volume of water in the breached stack.

"There is probably just shy of 300 million gallons of water remaining and by the assessment we’ll have a much clearer picture of the current status," said Dr. Scott Hopes, Manatee County Administrator. "We have an entirely new team doing an in depth assessment ... Now we have Army Corps engineers and they have incredible expertise. When we get update, we will release and update the public."

As part of the same press conference, U.S. Congressman Vern Buchanan said he wants the "best and brightest" on the response and that, "I'm here to do what I can to help Manatee County. this has been going on too long and we’re going to come together: the County, the state and the federal government are going to get this resolved quickly. ... Will deal with this aggressively."

Port Manatee remains fully operational, said Port Chairman Reggie Bellamy. Shipping trucks that are conducting Port business are allowed access to the Port by local law enforcement officials.

The Department of Environmental Protection has created a website with a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the Piney Point discharge. The site can be found at www.protectingfloridatogether.gov/PineyPointUpdate 

In order to avoid confusion and to make sure consistent messaging occurs, all media updates will be provided during the press conference and on the County's two primary Twitter feeds, @mcgpublicsafety and @manateegov.

Manatee County, DEP: County, well water drinking supplies are safe

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (April 4, 2021) – Local and state officials today said local water supplies are in no danger from the Piney Point water breach which right now is flowing controlled into Piney Creek and Tampa Bay.

"I want to say that Manatee County Utilities customers can rest assured that our drinking water is completely safe to drink," said County Commission Chairman Vanessa Baugh. "The water distribution system is a closed system without any way for flood water to enter. There is also no threat at all to our primary source of drinking water, Lake Manatee."

Baugh said residents in north Manatee County  who rely on drinking wells for their water also have no cause for concern at this time.

"Well water is unaffected so long as the outfall continues to flow safely into Piney Creek," Baugh said. "If a breach occurs, we believe that the surface layers of dirt and earth will safely filter any harmful nutrients near the surface. In addition, if an uncontrolled breach occurs, the Department of Health will issue any necessary advisories regarding the safety of the well water."

Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein said there is no impact to groundwater from the Piney Point water. He said DEP is actively monitoring controlled discharges to capture any impacts to the environment. 

County Administrator Dr. Scott Hopes said state agencies have delivered pipes and a pumping system that should double the amount of water being drawn down safely from the stacks by tomorrow.

"The team is much more comfortable than it was yesterday ... but we're not out of the critical area yet," Hopes said.

In order to avoid confusion and to make sure consistent messaging occurs, all media updates will be provided during the press conference and on the County's two primary Twitter feeds, @mcgpublicsafety and @manateegov.

The County's next scheduled media briefing will be tomorrow, April 5 at 12:30 p.m. with Congressman Vern Buchanan providing remarks.

See Past Updates

With possibility growing for large-scale breach of Piney Point reservoirs, Manatee County expands evacuation order - AS OF 4 P.M. ON APRIL 6, THE EVACUATION ORDER IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (April 3, 2021) – Manatee County Public Safety officials this evening expanded a mandatory evacuation area around the breached Piney Point reservoir. The original evacuation zone has expanded one half mile west and one mile southwest to Moccasin Wallow Road. The evacuation orders have been lifted as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6.

The closure of U.S. 41 will be expanded south from Buckeye Road to Moccasin Wallow Road. Moccasin Wallow Road will be closed west of 38th Avenue East. There are an estimated 316 households in the evacuation area. Those households will all receive an emergency alert to evacuate shortly. With no special needs patients or assisted living facilities in the effected area, no public shelters are planned to open for this event. The evacuation orders have been lifted as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6.

"Thankfully the evacuation area does not include any major residential areas, and the homes within Artisan Lakes are not in the evacuation area," said Public Safety Director Jacob Saur. "If you live within the evacuation area, you need to find shelter with friends and family outside of the evacuation zone now." The evacuation orders have been lifted as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6.

Saur said if residents within the evacuation zone need help, they should call Manatee County's 311 Call Center which will connect residents with Red Cross resources. The evacuation orders have been lifted as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6.

Between 2 and 3 million gallons per day of saltwater continues to flow out of the pond but the are chances are increasing that a large section of the pond will wash away causing an uncontrolled release that would send as much as 380 million gallons of process water rushing out. The evacuation orders have been lifted as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6.

Manatee County, DEP Officials will Host 2 p.m. Press Conference to Give Update on Piney Point

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (April 4, 2021) – Manatee County Commissioners, Public Safety Officials and Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein will provide a media briefing today at 2 p.m. to talk about the latest efforts to address the compromised phosphogypsum stack at the Piney Point reservoirs. The press conference will be held at 2101 47th Terrace East in Bradenton. 

The Florida National Guard is working in unison with the Florida Department of Emergency Management and is currently dropping off additional pumps to begin safely releasing some of the water from the Piney Point reservoirs.

Manatee County Commissioners are continuing to stand ready to respond with any financial or human resource needs in order to assist the brave men and women responding at the site of the stack.

In order to avoid confusion and to make sure consistent messaging occurs, all media updates will be provided during the press conference and on the County's two primary twitter feeds, @mcgpublicsafety and @manateegov.

MANATEE COUNTY OFFICIALS DELIVER PINEY POINT UPDATE

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (April 3, 2021) – Manatee County Government and Florida Department of Environmental Protection today announced that crews working on site of the Piney Point reservoirs are doing their best to control the outflow at the breach of between 2 and 3 million gallons of water per day.

The reservoirs are located just east of U.S. 41 and north of Buckeye Road. Both roads are closed to vehicular traffic.

"I want to thank the brave men and women who have been working literally around the clock to minimize any impacts that this situation may have for public safety," said County Commission Chairman Vanessa Baugh. "Led by our Public Works and Emergency Management teams, crews worked up until 2:30 a.m. today to try to reinforce the berm wall of the breached areas of the gyp stacks. Those efforts were, unfortunately, unsuccessful." Later she added that Manatee Sheriff's Office has said residents within the evacuation zone are believed to be out and safe.

Another 32 million gallons of water per day is being safely drawn down by pumps to a drain into Tampa Bay from the top of the 79-acre pond. An estimated 380 million gallons of high-nutrient saltwater remain in the pond.

"Manatee County Government has taken the necessary steps to protect the citizens, business owners and, of course, the environment of Manatee County," said Dr. Scott Hopes, Manatee County Administrator. "Their health and safety is our number one priority."

He thanked the many government agencies assisting with the response, including Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Florida Department of Emergency Management, Florida Department of Transportation, the state and regional Incident Management Team, the Florida Highway Patrol, Manatee Sheriff's Office, Manatee County Public Safety, Public Works and Parks and Natural Resources Departments and the County Commission.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Manatee County's next media briefing will be tomorrow, April 4 at 2 p.m.

Manatee County will host 1 p.m. press conference near Piney Point today

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (April 3, 2021) – Local and state officials will provide a media briefing today at 1 p.m. to talk about the latest efforts to address the compromised phosphogypsum stack at the Piney Point reservoirs. The press conference will be held just off Scale Avenue near U.S. 41.

Representatives from Manatee County Public Safety and the Florida of Department of Environmental Protection will offer updates.

Learning of process water breach at Piney Point, County Commissioners declare local state of emergency

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (April 1, 2021) – Manatee County Commissioners today declared a local state of emergency after receiving an update from HRK regarding the breach at the Piney Point phosphogypsum stack. An uncontrolled breach is not imminent but, if the conditions of the stack worsen, nearby property owners could be impacted by the process water.

The stacks are owned by HRK Holdings, LLC and the environmental oversight falls to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Manatee County Commissioners have pushed for the interested parties to find an environmentally responsible solution, but have no authority over the site. But recognizing a potential threat to local residents and business owners, Commissioners unanimously declared the local state of emergency at the tail end of a regularly scheduled land use meeting today.

The emergency declaration adopted by the Board states:

• Engineers cannot predict with absolute certainty the location or severity of contaminated water releasing resulting in hazardous impacts; and
• Any contaminated water release in unplanned large amounts can result in injuries, damage to public and private property, and may result in first responders and government agencies intervening to protect lives, property, and the environment and to reduce impacts to utilities, public buildings, communication systems, transportation systems, and infrastructure.