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40,000 gallons of slurry water leak from pipe
By Times Staff Writer
Published December 17, 2005
TAMPA - About 40,000 gallons of gypsum slurry water leaked from a Mosaic Fertilizer pipe this week, affecting minnows and crabs in the surrounding area, a company representative reported Friday.
The leak was detected at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday at Mosaic's Riverview manufacturing plant, at a point just east of U.S. Highway 41, said company spokesman David Townsend.
The gypsum causes the water to be slightly acidic, which can have repercussions for marine life. When the leak was detected, operators halted slurry pumping. Cleanup began immediately and continued through Thursday.
Some of the processed water reached the nearest point of Archie Creek canal, which ultimately leads to Hillsborough Bay. Townsend said that by Thursday morning, schools of minnows and crabs were visibly active in the affected area.
"There is never any human health risk associated with this water," Townsend said.
Officials are still trying to determine the cause of the leak.
The company notified the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Townsend said, and is helping to evaluate the cause.
[Last modified December 17, 2005, 01:00:13]
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