Back in the U.S., authorities in Florida are racing to prevent the catastrophic collapse of a 77-acre wastewater storage pond at an abandoned phosphate mine in the Tampa Bay area. Work crews have been pumping more than 20,000 gallons of contaminated water per minute from the Piney Point reservoir into surrounding waterways after containment walls began leaking. Governor Ron DeSantis has ordered the evacuation of 300 homes. Manatee County Sheriff’s officials initially ordered prisoners moved to the second floor of a jail near the pond, but later reversed the order, saying it posed a security risk. Some models predict a collapse could trigger a 20-foot-high wall of water. This is Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes.

Scott Hopes: “We’re talking about the potential of about 600 million gallons, within a matter of seconds and minutes, leaving that retention pool and going around the surrounding area.”

According to the EPA, phosphorus and nitrogen in the wastewater could cause algal blooms that may harm humans and kill fish.