The court-appointed receiver continues to remove the soft materials associated with the previous Port Manatee Berth 12 dredging project from the NGS-South compartment. To date, more than 151,000 cubic yards have been removed for dewatering and consolidation.
The NGS-North compartment is also being prepared for closure. Due to progress in water management, this compartment is no longer actively used for water storage. This has allowed the receiver to reduce the crest elevation as part of ongoing closure preparation.
DEP will continue its stringent regulatory oversight of the site to ensure this is the last chapter in Piney Point's history. DEP remains committed to working with the court-appointed receiver to ensure that progress toward closure is made expeditiously.
"DEP will continue to maintain updates on closure progress on its public webpage," noted a spokesperson. "Email status updates for subscribers are now sent on a quarterly basis. The next update will be sent in October 2024. Real-time updates will also be transmitted as needed."
The site has received approximately 24 inches of rain so far this year. The current storage capacity for additional rainfall at the site is approximately 79 inches, though this capacity may change with varying rainfall amounts and adjusted water management activities.
To date, 209,907,676 gallons have been transferred for disposal in Manatee County’s UIC well along Buckeye Road. This project is a critical element of necessary water disposal that will enable the ultimate closure of Piney Point, permanently eliminating any threat from this site to both the environment and community.
Approximately 176 million gallons are currently held within the NGS-South compartment due to ongoing dredging work aimed at dewatering and consolidating soft sediments there. Pond level readings are expected to fluctuate due to various factors including wind-associated waves in the pond, rainfall, and other water management activities.