Piney Point Update – Aug. 10, 2023

Florida Department of Environmental Protection sent this bulletin at 08/10/2023 06:05 PM EDT
Piney Point

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850-245-2112, DEPNews@FloridaDEP.gov

Piney Point Update – Aug. 10, 2023

Today, the court-appointed receiver announced that C&M Dredging Inc., Dredge America Inc., Petrotech Southeast Inc. and Solmax Geosynthetics LLC have been selected as the contractors to complete the first phase of closure work for the NGS-South compartment, which includes dredging and dewatering activities.   

To ensure work on this compartment can begin as soon as the contract is executed, the court-appointed receiver has been transferring treated non-hazardous industrial wastewater from the NGS-South compartment to Manatee County’s Underground Injection Control (UIC) well along Buckeye Road. 

Closure work is also in the final stages for the OGS-South compartment. Protective liner has been installed on top of the OGS-South compartment, and the contractors for this compartment are finishing the final details for closure, including completing erosion control measures and grass over the area so that it will no longer accumulate rainwater. 

DEP will continue performing its stringent regulatory oversight of the facility to ensure this is the last chapter in the long history of Piney Point. DEP is committed to working with the receiver to ensure that progress toward closure is done as expeditiously as possible. 

Note: DEP will continue to maintain updates on closure progress on its public webpage. Email status updates for subscribers are now sent on a monthly basis. The next update will be sent Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. Real-time updates will be transmitted if there is a timely update.

Key status updates and response activities (bolded and underlined language reflects changes):

  • The site received 0.07 inches of rain so far this month. Piney Point has received approximately 15.86 inches of rain since Jan. 1, 2023. In response to rain events, clean, non-contact stormwater will be conveyed as needed through the site's permitted outfall along Buckeye Road. Samples are collected at the permitted outfall during runoff events to confirm the stormwater meets the requirements of the permit.
  • The current storage capacity for additional rainfall at the site is approximately 57.4 inches. This capacity is expected to change with rainfall amounts, as well as adjusted water management activities at the site.
  • Manatee County began receiving non-hazardous industrial wastewater from the site on April 4, 2023, for disposal in its UIC well along Buckeye Road, and to date, 71,067,419 gallons have been transferred. This project is one critical element of the necessary water disposal that will enable the closure of the Piney Point facility once and for all, permanently eliminating the threat from this site to the environment and the community.
  • Approximately 206 million gallons are currently held within the NGS-South compartment. Pond level readings are expected to fluctuate due to a host of factors, including wind/associated waves in the pond, rainfall and water management activities.

Residents can find the latest information on the status of the site, response activities and water quality at ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov/PineyPointUpdate.