In the wake of a near-environmental disaster at the Piney Point phosphogypsum stack, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is now entertaining plans to expand the New Wales gypstack – the same gypstack that suffered a catastrophic sinkhole in 2016.
In 2016, a sinkhole 45 feet wide and hundreds of feet deep opened in the New Wales phosphogypsum stack, and for weeks dumped wastewater and phosphogypsum into the Floridan aquifer before the public was even made aware. All told, at least 215 million gallons of radioactive, toxic wastewater and an unknown amount of phosphogypsum fell into the Floridan aquifer. The 2016 sinkhole wasn’t the first at this gypstack.
In 2004, an “anomaly” occurred at the stack, and in 1994 and 2013 other anomalies or sinkholes occurred at the north stack. And now Mosaic wants to expand the stack by another 230 acres.
The fertilizer production is a dirty and dangerous business from start to finish. In addition to tearing up hundreds of thousands of acres of habitat in Florida’s heartland to strip mine phosphate ore, the phosphate fertilizer industry is also responsible for creating more than 1 billion tons of a radioactive waste called phosphogypsum, stored in 25 “stacks” throughout Florida.
Let FDEP know you voice your concerns and tell the state enough is enough. Use the text below, but by all means feel free to modify it to tell your personal message.
Email to: DWRMIW.PM@dep.state.fl.us
Subject: Deny Mosaic’s Request to Expand the Sinkhole-Prone New Wales Gypstack (Permit FL0036421)
Text: I am adamantly opposed to Mosaic’s New Wales Concentrate Plant permit application to expand the existing phosphogypsum stacks an additional 230 acres. This facility and region of Florida has experienced a host of problems, including the 2016 sinkhole releasing 215 million gallons of process wastewater in the Floridan aquifer and other anomalies or sinkholes in 1994, 2004, and 2013.
The most alarming point is that this particular area has shown itself to be vulnerable to sinkholes. These documented sinkhole events are warnings that we cannot continue to ignore.
The most recent, entirely predictable phosphogypsum stack failure at Piney Point and the troubling response is a stark reminder that millions of people around Florida are living close to these ticking time bombs.
Until the state and local officials can do a better job of adequately managing the risks, I am opposed to the New Wales Concentrate Plant permit application and ask the Florida Department of Environmental Protection deny Mosaic’s request for expansion.
