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THE SUN
ISLAND NEWS
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SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
IN BRIEF
Pier cleanup next week
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Pepsi Stronger Together and Force Blue are hosting a marine debris cleanup at the Anna Maria City Pier on Thursday, Sept. 9 in celebration of the NFL season kickoff. “We know what a treasure our marine ecosystems are and that it is so important to conserve them for future generations to enjoy,” FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said. “We believe partnerships like this can and will make a difference.” Volunteers can get more information at https:// forceblueteam.org/volunteer-opportunities.
Bayfest is back and looking for sponsors There still are sponsorship opportunities for the 20th Annual Bayfest celebration, which returns this year on Saturday, Oct. 16 to Pine Avenue in Anna Maria. According to the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, the sponsorships are a great way to promote local business as well as raise money for Chamber scholarships and initiatives. They also are critical in helping to cover the rising costs of holding the annual festival. Bayfest is easily the largest, most well-attended festival of the year, drawing tens of thousands to turn out for the live music, food and drinks, kids activities, arts and crafts and an antique car show featuring more than 100 classic muscle cars and hotrods. Contact the Chamber at annamariaislandchamber.org to become a sponsor.
PROTECTINGFLORIDATOGETHER.GOV | SUBMITTED
The ponds at Piney Point, center, contain phosphate process water and other pollutants.
Piney Point under new management A receiver is appointed to take over Piney Point from owner HRK Holdings under the supervision of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
Accompanied by his grandma, Dorothy Dumbaugh, 3-yearold Zachary Johnstone, of Sarasota, got a spelling game as his Christmas in August gift.
Moose Christmas in August Bearing gifts for the youngsters, Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer made a summer stop at the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge #2188 in Bradenton Beach Saturday morning. Their visit was part of the Moose lodge’s Christmas in August children’s event. “We tried to do something different this year to keep things going and bring people back during the COVID situation. We’re just getting the families out and together and having a good time,” Moose Lodge administrator Byron Dalton said.
PALMETTO – Piney Point is now under the management of an independent third-party receiver who will oversee the closure of the former phosphate plant, which has posed environmental problems for decades. Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas issued an emergency order on Aug. 25 appointing Herbert Donica, a business lawyer and partner of the Tampa-based Donica Law Firm, as receiver of the site at 13300 U.S. Hwy. 41 N. Under the order, Donica is responsible for maintaining, managing and closing Piney Point “as efficiently and expeditiously as possible.” The order grants Donica judicial immunity from liability, including personal injury and property damage. The Florida Department
of Environmental Protection (FDEP) sued Piney Point owner HRK Holdings LLC last month requesting an emergency hearing to appoint a receiver. The emergency was the possibility that summer rains could overflow a storage pond containing water contaminated by phosphate processing, dredge material from Port Manatee and nitrogen and phosphorus, which act as fertilizer for toxic red tide. Scientists have noted a link between red tide-related fish kills and respiratory irritation in and around Tampa Bay including around Anna Maria Island – since FDEP approved the discharge of 215 million gallons of contaminated water into Tampa Bay in March and April to avoid the potential collapse of a compromised gypsum stack that contained more than twice that amount of polluted water. FDEP officials have revised their estimate that Piney Point will get at least another 10 inches of rain by the end of September, saying in a release on Aug. 30 that 8 inches of rain is now expected. The current storage capacity for additional
rainfall at the site is about 11 inches. Totals are changing with rainfall amounts and water management activities at the site, according to FDEP, which includes trucking water off site to the Manatee County Southeast Water Reclamation Facility to lower water levels. FDEP reports that 163 trucks have hauled 1,033,220 gallons of contaminated water offsite, leaving 259 million gallons as of Aug. 30. The state agency also is working with a contractor to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from the water in case another discharge becomes necessary. Since the April discharge, the water has been treated to remove about 200 tons of nitrogen and 150 tons of phosphorus. FDEP is a co-defendant with HRK Holdings LLC in a lawsuit filed on June 24 by five environmental groups, including ManaSota-88 and Sarasotabased Suncoast Waterkeeper, seeking to hold both responsible for negligence in managing the site. No hearing has yet been set in the case.
