The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is actively collaborating with the court-appointed receiver to evaluate and manage water levels at the Piney Point site after hurricanes Helene and Milton. Recent inspections have revealed no significant concerns for the site, including ongoing closure efforts in both the NGS-South and NGS-North compartments.
In the NGS-South compartment, over 330,000 cubic yards of soft materials, linked to the former Port Manatee Berth 12 dredging project, have been removed for dewatering and consolidation. The NGS-North compartment is also being prepared for closure. Improved water management has allowed this area to be excluded from water storage activities, facilitating a reduction in crest elevation necessary for continued closure work.
The DEP maintains rigorous regulatory oversight to ensure that Piney Point's history concludes with its permanent closure. "DEP is committed to working with the court-appointed receiver to ensure that progress toward closure is made as expeditiously as possible."
To date, 285,282,676 gallons have been transferred for disposal at Manatee County’s UIC well along Buckeye Road. This effort is crucial for eliminating threats posed by Piney Point permanently. Currently, about 193 million gallons remain in the NGS-South compartment due to ongoing dredging efforts.
As of September 5, 2024, DEP renewed the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued to Donica Receivership Services, LLC., responsible for closing Piney Point’s phosphogypsum stack systems. The permit sets discharge limits and monitoring requirements to protect Tampa Bay.
For those interested in updates on Piney Point's progress towards closure, DEP provides information on its public webpage and sends email status updates as needed.