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#Evacuation lifted following emergency at Florida sewage plant

#Evacuation lifted following emergency at Florida sewage plant

Hundreds of Tampa Bay area residents were allowed back into their homes Tuesday, as crews shored up a containment wall around a leaky wastewater reservoir.

The lifted evacuation orders came as Army engineers found a reduced risk of a toxic flash flood at the Piney Point phosphate plant.

A Florida National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter places pumps at the leaking Piney Point Reservoir in Manatee County.
A Florida National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter places pumps at the leaking Piney Point Reservoir in Manatee County.
ZUMAPRESS.com

The Army Corps and local crews worked around the clock for days to pump water out of the reservoir and ease pressure on the wall.

On Thursday, officials found leaks in the structure, which is lined with phosphogypsum waste that can emit the radioactive gas radon.

Effluent spews from a pipe into a ditch at Port Manatee.
Effluent spews from a pipe into a ditch at Port Manatee.
Reuters

Tests showed the water was not poisonous, but authorities feared a massive breach that could unleash a wave of untreated wastewater into the area.

“We’re now ending our fifth day since learning of a breach at the site, and I am in awe over the state, federal and local cooperation to ensure the safety of our residents,” Manatee County Commission Chairman Vanessa Baugh said in a statement announcing the lifting of the evacuation.

Workers install more piping for effluent to flow at Port Manatee.
Workers install more piping for effluent to flow at Port Manatee.
Reuters

The sewage was routed into nearby Port Manatee, posing concerns to marine life in the Gulf of Mexico, environmental officials said.

With Post wires

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