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Environmentalists sue over Florida wastewater reservoir leak

Photo: Anastasia Taioglou
Photo: Anastasia Taioglou

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Environmental groups claim in a lawsuit that efforts to clean up a leaky Florida reservoir that dumped tens of millions of gallons of potentially hazardous gypsum wastewater into Tampa Bay must be overseen by a federal judge to guard against continued mismanagement.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Tampa federal court against the governor and others over leaks at the Piney Point reservoir that many blame for fish kills and other hazards.

The reservoir contains huge stacks of gypsum, a byproduct of phosphate fertilizer mining once conducted there.

Officials have announced plans to permanently close the site.

Danielle Prieur is WMFE's education reporter.