April 3 (UPI) -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in Manatee County and officials ordered a complete evacuation of the Piney Point reservoir area Saturday due to fears a decommissioned phosphate plant could collapse.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that work crews attempted to shore up a breach in a wall at the former Piney Point phosphate plant Saturday morning.
The 480-million wastewater reservoir has been leaking for days, but by 10:30 a.m. engineers "deemed the situation to be escalating," Manatee County Public Safety Director Jacob Saur told the newspaper.
"We're talking about the potential of about [480] million gallons, within a matter of seconds and minutes, leaving that retention pool and going around the surrounding area," Scott Hopes, the Manatee County Administrator, said Saturday.
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Engineers said the structure collapse could happen any time, which would flood the area -- and Tampa Bay itself -- with water that contains phosphorus and nitrogen from the phosphate plant.
"Due to a possible breach of mixed saltwater from the south reservoir at the Piney Point facility, I have declared a State of Emergency for Manatee County to ensure resources are allocated for necessary response & recovery," DeSantis wrote on Twitter.
The initial evacuation zone included between 15 and 20 houses, and officials say all of them have been evacuated.
By 6 p.m. EDT county officials expanded the evacuation zone to include an area with about 316 homes.
Parts of US-41 have also been closed due to the breach.
