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Looming ecological disaster in Tampa Bay

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by 2muchcoffeeman, Apr 4, 2021.

  1. Twirling Time

    Twirling Time Well-Known Member

    Phosphogypsum contains (among other radioactive materials) radium-226, which has a half-life of 1,630 years.
     
    2muchcoffeeman likes this.
  2. vicd

    vicd Active Member

    Too bad the Times let Craig Pittman go. No one I would trust more covering this story.
    But I'm sure the 21-year-old intern from Indiana or Missouri will do a good job with the finer details...
     
    playthrough, HanSenSE and Inky_Wretch like this.
  3. vicd

    vicd Active Member

    My mom lives nearby. I'll let y'all know when the radiation reaches her condo.
    aaa.jpg
     
    TigerVols likes this.
  4. Driftwood

    Driftwood Well-Known Member

    Travis McGee - or more specifically, John D. MacDonald - pointed that out in the early 1960s.
     
    2muchcoffeeman likes this.
  5. Mngwa

    Mngwa Well-Known Member

    So that story said that this one was built using no liners. Yet DeSantis said the liner sprung a leak. Is he lying or does he just genuinely not know?
     
  6. Mngwa

    Mngwa Well-Known Member

    https://www-washingtonpost-com.cdn....onment/2021/04/04/piney-point-breach-florida/

    So typical of what I've seen of most Republicans in this state, the gov is most concerned about a catastrophic flood and property damage. But having lived alongside a lagoon that endures freshwater releases from lake Okeechobee every year, let me be the first to tell you that this nutrient rich water that's being pumped into the environment now, is not good. Without regard to the slight radioactivity of the water, too much fresh water destroys salt water or brackish estuaries. It leads to algae blooms, which are usually toxic, it kills oyster beds. It's a freaking nightmare. And there is so much excess nutrients, i.e. nitrate and phosphorus, laying around Florida that it can completely wreck the environment. And yet Florida Bay is dying because it's too salty because humans don't let the fresh water flow down there. It's a huge puzzle and the politicians never get it right.
     
  7. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Yes
     
  8. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    Side note about phosphogypsum that this article only touches on: For every ton of fertilizer produced as a primary product, five tons are produced as a toxic byproduct.
     
  9. swingline

    swingline Well-Known Member

    Well, hell, that’s efficient.
     
    2muchcoffeeman likes this.
  10. UPChip

    UPChip Well-Known Member

    I realize this is not a chemistry board but how does the production of a fertilizer yield radioactive byproducts?

    Also, are we up to 3.6 roentgen yet?
     
    Vombatus likes this.
  11. qtlaw

    qtlaw Well-Known Member

    I've dealt with public works projects for over 30 yrs; NOTHING is sudden. This has been building for a long time and no one is paying attention. There's a constant analysis every month, every day of "what if we fix it now, what is the worst case if we don't?" Yet the final decision is political and then we get this (or the Texas power grid/Michigan water). Yeah the politicians are clowns, but we citizens have to pay attention too.
     
    Inky_Wretch and 2muchcoffeeman like this.
  12. Driftwood

    Driftwood Well-Known Member

    There needs to be a Deepwater Horizon level financial beatdown put on someone up to and including the Florida government because of this.
    It's an ecological disaster for the Gulf playing out in real time.
     
    Neutral Corner likes this.
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