phosphate

A year ago, 215 million gallons of wastewater poured from the troubled Piney Point phosphate plant into Tampa Bay’s waters — a long-feared disaster come true.

In the first segment of our ongoing series on phosphate mines, WUSF reports on the long, tangled history of Florida's phosphate mines and the environment. Thursday, we take a look at the one company that's still mining phosphate in Central Florida.

Piney Point's owner is among the targets of the lawsuit, which seeks a full cleanup and closure of the former phosphate plant.

Officials say the wastewater being released into Tampa Bay is not radioactive but it does contain a lot of nutrients that can fuel algal blooms. Scientists say it will take time to see if damage occurs.

The National Guard dropped off pumps in an attempt to drain the reservoir before the hole in the earthen dam becomes larger.