CHANNEL 8.
HAPPENING AT THIS HOUR,
HUNDREDS OF HOMES ARE BEING
EVACUATED IN MANATEE COUNTY
HAS THE PINEY POINT GYPSUM
STACK IS ON THE VERGE OF A
A LIVE LOOK FROM EAGLE 8 HD
IT'S FLYING OVER THE LEAGUE
RIGHT NOW WHERE YOU CAN SEE
THE WASTE WATER SPILLING OUT
AT THIS HOUR. OFFICIALS ARE
TELLING 8 ON YOUR SIDE AT SOME
POINT THE WALL THAT THE WATER
IS COMING FROM COULD
COMPLETELY GIVEN CAUSING
MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER
TO FLOOD OUT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE
POTENTIAL OF ABOUT 600 MILLION
GALLONS WITHIN A MATTER OF
SECONDS IN MINUTES LEAVING
THAT RETENTION POOL AND GOING
AROUND THE SURROUNDING AREA.
AS WE SPEAK THE EVACUATION
ZONE IS GROWING IN MANATEE
COUNTY HAS THIS MASSIVE
RESERVOIR OF PHOSPHATE WASTE
WATER IS IN IMMINENT DANGER OF
COLLAPSING AND THIS WOULD
ON NEARBY HOMES IN THIS AREA.
TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR SCREEN AT
THIS HOUR. THIS MAP IS SHOWING
THE VERY LATEST EVACUATION
ZONE AROUND THE PINEY POINT
FACILITY IT COVERS MORE THAN
300 HOUSES IF YOU ARE INDEED
IN THIS AREA. OFFICIALS ARE
URGING YOU TO PACK UP AND
LEAVE RIGHT NOW AS THE CREWS
CONTINUE TO WORK ON DRAINING
SOME OF THE WASTE WATER FROM
THAT RESERVOIR. GOOD EVENING,
EVERYONE, I'M MELANIE MICHAEL
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON
THIS SATURDAY. WE DO HAVE A
LOT OF NEWS TO GET TO SO LET'S
GET RIGHT TO IT RIGHT NOW
CREWS HAVE BEEN WORKING AROUND
THE CLOCK AT THE PINEY POINT
PHOSPHATE PLANT AND THE WORK
BEGAN EARLIER THIS WEEK AS ONE
OF THE 40 FOOT HIGH WALLS
STARTED TO LEAK EVACUATION
ORDERS ARE IN EFFECT FOR
PEOPLE LIVING NEARBY.
OFFICIALS SAY THOSE RESIDENTS
MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN HOME
FOR AT LEAST 10 DAYS LAW
ENFORCEMENT IS KEEPING PEOPLE
OUT OF THIS AREA, CLOSING US
41 FROM MOCCASIN WALLOW ROAD
IN MANATEE COUNTY ALL THE WAY
TO COLLEGE AVENUE IN
HILLSBOROUGH LET'S TAKE
ANOTHER LIVE LOOK FROM EAGLE 8
HD AT THIS HOUR WHICH OF
COURSE IS KEEPING AN EYE ON
THE SITUATION AT PINEY POINT
AS WE WATCH FOR ANY SIGNS OF
POSSIBLE CATASTROPHIC WALL
FAILURE AND TONIGHT WE HAVE
SIDE TEAM COVERAGE OF THIS
VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SO
LET'S BEGIN WITH ALISON
HENNING SHE STARTS US OFF
TONIGHT. SHE HAS THE VERY
LATEST FROM MANATEE COUNTY AT
THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER
ALLISON. GOOD EVENING SO STATE
AND COUNTY OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN
KEEPING A VERY CLOSE EYE ON
THAT LEAKING GYPSUM STACKS
FROM INSIDE THIS FACILITY,
RIGHT HERE.
RIGHT NOW, I'M TOLD ONLY
KEY ENGINEERS ARE ON SITE AT
PINEY POINT RIGHT NOW DOING
EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP
THAT FLOW OF WATER UNDER
CONTROL AND PREVENT
380 MILLION GALLONS FROM
CAUSING AN UNCONTROLLABLE
DISASTER.
OVERNIGHT EFFORTS TO REPAIR
AND REINFORCE THE LEAKING
GYPSUM STACK AT PINEY POINT
TURNED OUT UNSUCCESSFUL THIS
EMERGENCY ALERT CALLING FOR AN
IMMINENT COLLAPSE WENT OUT
SATURDAY MORNING SHORTLY AFTER
ON SITE ENGINEERS DETERMINED
THE SITUATION WAS ESCALATING A
PORTION OF THE CONTAINMENT LAW
AT THE LEAK SITE SHIFTED
LATTERLY.
SIGNIFYING THAT STRUCTURAL
COLLAPSE COULD OCCUR AT ANY
TIME.
UP CLOSE YOU CAN SEE AND
HEAR THE PROCESS WATER FLOWING
OUT OF THE GYPSUM STACK IN A
STEADY STREAM. THIS IS TOO
MASSIVE PIPES CONTINUE TO
DREAM 22,000 GALLONS A MINUTE
FROM THE 79 ACRE POND, ACTING
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SCOTT
HOPES SAYS MAINTAINING CONTROL
OF THE OUTFLOW IS KEY EVERY
BREACH OCCURRING.
IT'S REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF
VOLUME OF WATER THAT WOULD GO
INTO THE LAND.
POPE SAYS SHOULD THERE BE A
FULL UNCONTROLLED BREACH EXTRA
PUMPS CRANES AND OTHER HEAVY
EQUIPMENT ARE ALREADY ON THE
WAY FROM THE STATE AS GOVERNOR
RON DESANTIS DECLARED A STATE
OF EMERGENCY FOR MANATEE
PLANNED. IT WILL BE 10 TO 12
DAYS BEFORE THE POND IS EMPTY.
AND COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY
THE CHANCES OF A COMPLETE
COLLAPSE ARE REALLY INCREASING
BY THE MOMENT AGAIN IF THIS
HAPPENS 380 MILLION GALLONS OF
THAT PROCESS WATER WOULD COME
RUSHING OUT ALL AT ONCE LIVE
IN MANATEE COUNTY ALLYSON
HENNING 8 ON YOUR SIDE.
ALISON A VERY PRECARIOUS
SITUATION AT THIS HOUR. THANK
YOU SO MUCH AND COUNTY LEADERS
AND ENGINEERS AS WELL ARE
MONITORING THE PLANT AT PEOPLE
LIVING NEARBY ARE ALSO PAYING
CLOSE ATTENTION. THEY ARE
BEING EVACUATED AT THIS HOUR
LEAVING BEHIND THEIR HOMES IN
THE POTENTIAL STRIKE ZONE IF
YOUR SIDE'S OLIVIA STEEN
CONTINUES OUR LIVE TEAM
ARE FOLKS AROUND THERE TELLING
YOU.
WELL YEMENI OF THE PEOPLE
WHO LIVE IN THIS AREA SAY
OVERALL THIS IS JUST A HUGE
INCONVENIENCE A MAJORITY OF
THE HOMES CLOSEST TO THE PLANT
HAVE ALREADY BEEN EVACUATED
AND AS YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME
THERE IS A BLOCK BLOCKADE SET
UP ON US 41 RIGHT HERE ON THE
INTERSECTION OF MOCCASIN
WALLOW NOW I'M TOLD THE ONLY
PEOPLE WHO ARE ALLOWED TO
DRIVE THROUGH THIS AREA. OUR
EMPLOYEES AT THE JAIL AT THE
PORT OR ANYONE WORKING ON THAT
WEEK.
FEEL BAD FOR THE PEOPLE
THAT ARE IN THE EVACUATION
AREA AND I HOPE THAT THIS GETS
RESOLVED IN A POSITIVE WAY
SOON ALLEN FEARS LIVES IN
ARTISAN LAKES JUST A COUPLE
MILES AWAY FROM THE PINEY
POINT PLANT BUT THE LEAK STILL
HAS EDGE I'M NERVOUS THAT THE
IMPACT IT'S GOING TO HAVE ON
THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY COULD BE
THAT THE EVACUATION AREA. IS
FLOODED, BUT IT COULD HAVE
IMPACTS ON GROUND QUALITY
WATER QUALITY GOING FORWARD
HE'S ONLY LIVED IN MANATEE
COUNTY FOR A FEW MONTHS BUT
ALREADY KNOWS THE CONCERNS
RESIDENTS HAVE HAD ABOUT THIS
PLANT IN THE PAST WHAT I
UNDERSTAND THIS HAS BEEN AN
ONGOING PROBLEM FOR 20 YEARS
PLUS AND NO ONE ADDRESSED IT
LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
ADDRESSED PEACE LEAST THE
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TELLS
US THIS IS THE SECOND WEEK IN
A DECADE. DISCHARGES OF
CONTAMINATED WATER WERE FIRST
REPORTED BACK IN THE 1970'S
FEARS HOPES THE MAGNITUDE OF
THIS WEEK WILL SPARK A MORE
PERMANENT SOLUTION THIS TIME
AROUND AND SOMETHING'S GOT TO
HAPPEN HERE FAIRLY QUICKLY AND
HOPEFULLY AND HOLD RETENTION
AREA WILL NOT COLLAPSE.
AND JUST A HEADS UP FOR
ANYONE TRAVELING IN THIS AREA
US 41 IS BLOCKED OFF STARTING
AT THE INTERSECTION OF
MOCCASIN WALLOW AND EXTENDS
ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY LINE LIVE
IN MANATEE COUNTY OLIVIA STEEN
8 ON YOUR SIDE.
OLIVIA THANK YOU AND IF THE
STACK OF COLLAPSES IT COULD
IMPACT THE QUALITY OF DRINKING
WATER THE ENVIRONMENT, THE
LOCAL ECONOMY AND EVEN MORE
LET'S GET TO 80 OR SIZE NICO
CLEMENS WHO IS AT PINEY POINT
WHEN THE LATEST EVACUATION
NOTICE CAME OUT.
SATURDAY MORNING AT 11
MANATEE COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY
OFFICIALS ORDERED A COMPLETE
EVACUATION OF THE PINEY POINT
AREA. A MINUTE LATER A LEVEL
ONE. PEOPLE GOT THAT EMERGENCY
PHONES LEFT MANY PEOPLE IN
THIS AREA FEELING A BIT UNEASY
THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
EVERYONE IS KEEPING A CLOSE
EYE ON THE PINEY POINT
RESERVOIRS SITE IN MANATEE
COUNTY. THE FOSSIL GYPSUM
STACK THE EMERGENCY ALERT
SATURDAY WARNING PEOPLE THAT
THE COLLAPSE OF THE PINEY
POINT STACK WAS IMMINENT
THAT'S MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF
WASTEWATER THAT COULD SPILL
OUT INTO THE ENTIRE AREA.
FRIDAY PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS
ORDERED AN EVACUATION OF HOMES
AND BUSINESSES SOUTH OF THE
STACK THAT EVACUATION ZONE
EXPANDED NORTH AFTER LAW
ENFORCEMENT NOTICED A LEAK ON
THE NORTH WALL OF THE
RETENTION POND. SATURDAY AT
BEACH P CLOSED PART OF US 41
CARS WERE FORCED TO FIND
ANOTHER WAY AROUND AT LEAST
SIDE HE COULDN'T GET HOME
SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE RUN
NIGHT IS A LOCAL CHEMIST HE
SAYS ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO HE
ANOTHER MICROBIOLOGIST DID
SOME STUDIES ON THE WATER IN
THE RETENTION POND. BUT HE
REMEMBERS THEN THE COUNTY
FACED SIMILAR PROBLEMS, NOBODY
SEEMED TO BE INTERESTED TO
TIME AND THEN WAITED 20 YEARS
AND YEARS NOTHING MUCH HAS
CHANGED THE COMPANY MANAGING
THE STACK IS PUMPING THOUSANDS
OF GALLONS A MINUTE OUT OF
THIS POND IN AN ATTEMPT.
TO REDUCE THE PRESSURE AND
PREVENT A COLLAPSE THE FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION SAYS THE WATER IS
PRIMARILY SALT WATER AND
SLIGHTLY ACIDIC.
BUT NOT TOXIC BUT IT WILL
STILL CAUSE PROBLEMS IN LOCAL
WATERWAYS NIGHT BELIEVES THAT
THIS IS AN ISSUE SOMEONE
SHOULD HAVE HANDLED A LONG
TIME AGO I JUST THEY WOULD.
COME UP WITH A PLAN AND NOT
WAIT ANOTHER 20 YEARS TO
HAPPENS MANATEE COUNTY PUBLIC
SAFETY DEPARTMENT SAYS IF YOU
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHETHER OR NOT YOU LIVE IN THE
EVACUATION ZONE CALL 3, 1, 1,
MANATEE MICHAEL CLEMENS 8
ON YOUR SIDE.