10/25/2024 | Press release | Archived content
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is working closely with the court-appointed receiver to continue site evaluations and manage water levels following hurricanes Helene and Milton. Based on follow-up inspections, there were no concerns for the overall site, including the ongoing closure work in the NGS-South and NGS-North compartments.
In the NGS-South compartment, the receiver is actively removing the remaining soft materials (associated with the previous Port Manatee Berth 12 dredging project), with more than 330,000 cubic yards removed for dewatering and consolidation to date.
Additionally, the NGS-North compartment is being prepared for closure. Due to the progress in water management, this compartment is no longer used for water storage, allowing the receiver to reduce the crest elevation (top of the compartment), which is necessary for the ongoing closure work.
DEP will continue performing its stringent regulatory oversight of the site to ensure this is the last chapter in the long history of Piney Point. DEP is committed to working with the court-appointed receiver to ensure that progress toward closure is made as expeditiously as possible.
Note: DEP will continue to maintain updates on closure progress on its public webpage. Email status updates for subscribers are now sent on an as needed basis.
Key status updates and response activities (bolded and underlined language reflects changes):
Residents can find the latest information on the status of the site and closure activities at FloridaDEP.gov.