The Manatee County Commission Tuesday okayed a proposal to pump remaining water from the Piney Point gyp stacks into a deep injection well across the road. The measure passed unanimously despite similar proposals failing in the past. Listen: It’s been over a week since a breach at the former Piney Point phosphate plant opened what… Read more »
Officials in Manatee County said a drone discovered a possible second breach at the Piney Point gyp stacks Monday. A full collapse is still possible, even as crews double efforts to drain contaminated water into Tampa Bay. LISTEN: Manatee County Public Safety Director Jake Saur said the second breach was found early Monday. “At approximately… Read more »
Note, this is one of the many articles about the pending disaster at Piney Point that WMNF has published over the years. This one is from September 2020. In April 2021, a breach occurred, threatening a possible collapse of a gyp stack. In response, a controlled release of millions of gallons of polluted water is… Read more »
UPDATE: this story originally published August 20, 2009 by Seán Kinane / WMNF News. We’re republishing this now because a new report from the Tampa Bay Times found hundreds of workers have been exposed to high lead levels. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has revised its lead air quality standard to allow ten times… Read more »
The vernal (spring) equinox, which marks the first day of spring, generally fall on March 19th, 20th or 21st of each calendar year. The word equinox, comes from the Latin words for “equal” and “night” which means that the length of day and night are nearly equal in all parts of the world. “Vernal”comes from… Read more »
One of the things that February 2021 will be remembered for is some of the worsts winter storms in the United States history. Of the many states that were profoundly affected by the harsh storm was Texas. The winter storm left millions without power and clean water. What will also be remembered with this storm… Read more »
The Suwannee River Water Management District Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a permit allowing the Seven Springs Water Company to pump nearly a million gallons of water per day from Ginnie Springs to a nearby Nestlé bottling plant. Tuesday’s vote came after four hours of public comment calling for the permit to be denied. LISTEN:… Read more »
Manatee County Commissioners met Tuesday to consider possible remedies for the nearly 750 million of contaminated process water sitting at the Piney Point Reservoir near Port Manatee and the shores of Tampa Bay. The site’s capacity is rapidly decreasing with less than 11 inches of rain standing between it and an environmental disaster for Tampa… Read more »
The Tarpon Springs City Commission voted Friday to move forward with a planned residential community on 74 acres near the Anclote River. Environmentalists hope the land, which they once blocked Walmart from building on, can still be saved. LISTEN: One month to the day after the city started the quasi-judicial hearing process, commissioners voted 3-1… Read more »
On Tuesday, the City of Tampa gave an update to an ongoing study looking at the impact of sea-level rise in the region. The City expects up to 8 feet of sea-level rise by the year 2100 and hopes to shape regulations and policy to be ready for it. LISTEN: For engineers and planners the… Read more »
Roads. Where the proposed Anclote Harbor residential community is going, it might need roads. LISTEN: The Tarpon Springs City Commission again postponed a vote to rezone 74-acres of land along the Anclote River after more than eight hours of public hearing. Traffic safety and environmental factors have emerged as concerns. Developer the Morgan Group and… Read more »
January 5, 2021 Good Morning, welcome to WMNF’s Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei. Today we’ll talk with Peter Dalacos, a community activist who is spearheading the effort to protect 74 acres along the Anclote River in Tarpon Springs from being turned into a housing development. The issue comes up this Thursday at the Tarpon Springs City… Read more »
In October, the Environmental Protection Agency approved the use of phosphogypsum in road construction. It’s a waste product of phosphate mining and it contains small amounts of radioactive isotopes of radium and uranium. On Friday a coalition of public health, environmental and union groups sued the EPA for approving phosphogypsum in roads. One of the… Read more »
The same group that fought Walmart from developing land along the Anclote River in Tarpon Springs has taken up the cause again. More than 10 years after beating back the big-box giant, environmental advocates are trying to keep a 74-acre residential community from going up at the same site. LISTEN: Just before midnight, city commissioners… Read more »
A group of 42 Florida businesses Wednesday sent a letter to the State’s congressional delegation asking it to block a proposed industrial finfish farm off the coast of Sarasota. Businesses all along the Gulf of Mexico warn of disastrous effects to the environment and the Gulf’s tourism industry. LISTEN: In an economic climate already decimated… Read more »
December 2, 2020 Good Morning, welcome to Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei. On November 3rd, 89% of voters in Orange County Florida approved the Right to Clean Water Charter Amendment. The Orange County/Orlando area is now the largest jurisdiction in the nation to pass this kind of legislation. This is the first time voters anywhere in Florida… Read more »
Public pushback against proposed toll highways through rural Florida continues to focus on conservation and protecting Florida’s struggling panther population. Every commenter during Monday’s M-CORES task force meeting opposed the construction. Listen: The issue for some was the lack of an apparent need for the roads. Others felt the billions that could be spent on… Read more »
The United States embassy in Trinidad and Tobago Friday called on the Venezuelan government to take action as state-flagged FSO Nabarima continues its apparent three-month-long capsize into the Gulf of Paria. Locals fear the derelict vessel is about to dump its near 55 million gallons of oil right at the mouth of the Caribbean Sea…. Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources You may be thinking about how to protect the environment even during the pandemic. Disposables, including plastics, are commonly used these days in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But in this WMNF MidPoint Monday interview with David Pinsky, the Greenpeace USA senior Plastics Campaigner,… Read more »
Daniel Yergin – The New Map: Energy, Climate, And The Clash Of Nations Pulitzer Prize-winning author and global energy expert, Daniels Yergen offers a revelatory new account of how energy revolutions, climate battles, and geopolitics are mapping our future. The world is being shaken by the collision of energy, climate change, and the clashing power… Read more »
WMNF is non-commercial community conscious radio – we survive only due to the generosity of listeners like you. Please consider a sustaining monthly contribution and receive annual coupons for swag when you Join the WMNF Circle of Friends.
