As the crisis develops in Florida , a brief stroll through history may be important to understand how the state got to a point where Florida state and local leaders fear an "imminent" collapse of the retention pond at the former Piney Point phosphate processing plant in Manatee County... The Manatee County Commission voted unanimously last Thursday to declare a state of emergency due to the liner tear at the gypsum stack at the former phosphate plant on Piney Point. The emergency order was in response to concerns that a leak in one of the stacks could cause a collapse that would affect nearby communities. Crews discovered a leak in March and have been actively monitoring water capacity at the former phosphate mining site. HRK Holdings, LLC, is responsible for the operation of the closed phosphogypsum stacks, and they self-reported after finding a tear in one of the compartments. Phosphogypsum is the primary waste byproduct of the wet-acid process for producing phosphoric ac...