Piney Point Update – April 5, 2024
The court-appointed receiver continues to make progress with the current phase of closure work for the former Piney Point site. In this phase, soft materials (associated with the Port Manatee Berth 12 dredging) in the NGS-South compartment are being removed via dredging and the materials are being dewatered to allow the NGS-South compartment to be closed once the dredging and dewatering work is complete.
The pre-treatment facility associated with Manatee County’s Underground Injection Control (UIC) well along Buckeye Road continues to treat the process water contained in the remaining compartment areas at the former Piney Point site prior to disposal of the water in the UIC well. As a result of the progress in water management, the NGS-North compartment is no longer being actively used for water storage.
DEP will continue performing its stringent regulatory oversight of the site to ensure this is the last chapter in the long history of Piney Point. DEP is committed to working with the court-appointed receiver to ensure that progress toward closure is made 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 quarterly basis. The next update will be sent in July 2024. Real-time updates will also be transmitted as needed.
Key status updates and response activities (bolded and underlined language reflects changes):
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The site has received approximately 11.3 inches of rain so far this year.
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The current storage capacity for additional rainfall at the site is approximately 62 inches. This capacity is expected to change with rainfall amounts and adjusted water management activities at the site.
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To date, 173,942,404 gallons have been transferred for disposal in Manatee County’s UIC well along Buckeye Road. This project is one critical element of the necessary water disposal that will enable the ultimate closure of the former Piney Point site once and for all, permanently eliminating the threat from this site to the environment and the community.
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Approximately 223 million gallons are currently held within the NGS-South compartment. This current water level is the result of the ongoing dredging work to dewater and consolidate the soft sediments in 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 and closure activities at FloridaDEP.gov.
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