Piney Point Update – Oct. 25, 2024

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is working closely with the court-appointed receiver to continue site evaluations and manage water levels following hurricanes Helene and Milton. Based on follow-up inspections, there were no concerns for the overall site, including the ongoing closure work in the NGS-South and NGS-North compartments.

In the NGS-South compartment, the receiver is actively removing the remaining soft materials (associated with the previous Port Manatee Berth 12 dredging project), with more than 330,000 cubic yards removed for dewatering and consolidation to date.

Additionally, the NGS-North compartment is being prepared for closure. Due to the progress in water management, this compartment is no longer used for water storage, allowing the receiver to reduce the crest elevation (top of the compartment), which is necessary for the ongoing closure work.

DEP will continue performing its stringent regulatory oversight of the site to ensure this is the last chapter in the long history of Piney Point. DEP is committed to working with the court-appointed receiver to ensure that progress toward closure is made as expeditiously as possible.

Note: DEP will continue to maintain updates on closure progress on its public webpage. Email status updates for subscribers are now sent on an as needed basis.

Key status updates and response activities (bolded and underlined language reflects changes):

The site has received approximately 69 inches of rain so far this year.
The current storage capacity for additional rainfall at the site is approximately 76 inches. This capacity is expected to change with rainfall amounts and adjusted water management activities at the site.
To date, 285,282,676 gallons have been transferred for disposal in Manatee County’s UIC well along Buckeye Road. This project is one critical element of the necessary water disposal that will enable the ultimate closure of the former Piney Point site once and for all, permanently eliminating the threat from this site to the environment and the community.
Approximately 193 million gallons are currently held within the NGS-South compartment. This current water level is the result of the ongoing dredging work to dewater and consolidate the soft sediments in the NGS-South compartment. Pond level readings are expected to fluctuate due to a host of factors, including wind/associated waves in the pond, rainfall and water management activities.
On Sept. 5, 2024, DEP issued the renewal for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to the court-appointed receiver (Donica Receivership Services, LLC) for the closure of the site’s former phosphogypsum stack systems. This permit specifies discharge limits, including those for nutrients to protect Tampa Bay, as well as monthly and quarterly monitoring and reporting requirements to ensure compliance with permit conditions.

Residents can find the latest information on the status of the site and closure activities at FloridaDEP.gov.