MULBERRY, Fla. (WFLA) — Gov. Rick Scott was kept in the dark about a massive sinkhole at the Mosaic plant in Mulberry, 8 On Your Side has learned. The sinkhole poses a threat to our water supply.
8 On Your Side confirmed that, along with neighbors and the rest of the public, Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection failed for weeks to inform Gov. Scott.
Following our reports, Mosaic and the DEP started testing nearby wells. More test results came back Wednesday. They show radioactive water that fell into the aquifer did not reach the wells of neighbors, yet.
James Maxwell, of Lithia, now knows water taken from his well for testing on Sep. 19 met federal and state drinking water standards. At least that’s what ECT, Inc., a company hired by Mosaic to take water samples, told him on the phone.
“His words were, ‘The water I tested last Monday is okay,'” Maxwell said.
ECT Vice President Gary Uuebelhoer said the test results released Wednesday show radioactive water that escaped through the sinkhole into the aquifer did not reach nine residential wells by the time samples were taken Sept. 19.
That doesn’t mean those wells are still in the clear. “The results are a snapshot of what that well was producing on Monday, the 19th,” Uebelhoer said.
An email from DEP spokesperson Dee Ann Miller staes,’DEP and DOH are reviewing all results provided by ECT. This review includes ensuring Safe Drinking Water Standards are met. Based on DEP’s preliminary review of available results, all have met Safe Drinking Water Standards. Monitoring continues to indicate that the process water is being successfully contained and not migrating offsite.”
Maxwell is not sure he trusts Mosaic or the test results. “For them to wait days to notify us, looks like they’re hiding something,” he said.
8 On Your Side’s investigation confirmed that for 19 days neither Mosaic nor the Florida Department of Environmental protection alerted neighbors to the potential threat this sinkhole posed to their wells.
The governor’s office sent 8 On Your Side an email Wednesday. “The governor’s office was notified September 16th,” the email reads in part. That’s the day after 8 On Your Side’s first report.
It’s one of the biggest potential environmental disasters in Florida this century, and News Channel 8 viewers knew about it before the governor.
8 On Your side posed a question to the governor at his press briefing in Mulberry Tuesday. “Did DEP keep you in the dark, and if so are you going to fire Secretary (Jon) Steverson?” News Channel 8 asked.
“Well we’re in the middle of an ongoing investigation. I’m not going to fire Secretary Steverson based on anything I know today; he followed the law,” Scott said.
