Toxic wastewater reservoir in Florida is on the brink of collapse
By Lela S.
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On Friday, Manatee County in Florida declared a state of emergency. Citizens are being evacuated as there was a significant leak at a large pond of toxic wastewater near that location. Families in over were ordered to evacuate Saturday after officials warned that Piney Point Reservoir, about 40 miles south of Tampa, could flood homes with 15 to 20 feet of water if it collapses.
However, this pond contains millions of gallons of water containing really toxic materials, such as radium, uranium, and phosphorus, more specifically phosphogypsum, a solid radioactive byproduct of manufacturing fertilizer.
Crews are working to move water out of the reservoir as fast as possible, but it could take more than a week. About 22,000 gallons of water are being discharged per minute, and we expect the risk of a collapse to drop in a couple of days.