Months after Mosaic's toxic sinkhole formed, a different spill at a separate plant is causing headaches and concerns for neighbors.
The spill happened at Mosaic's Plant City fertilizer facility. The company says the spill was caused by a malfunctioning pump which circulates processed water. Mosaic says all 50,000 gallons spilled within their property.
Neighbors who spoke with ABC Action News are sharing their big concerns hearing anything related to Mosaic and water.
John Schultz lives less than a mile down the road from the plant. His family depends on well-water. We caught him off guard when we told him about the spill.
“Is my drinking water okay?" he asked, "I have no idea, this is crazy I’m just now hearing about this.”
In a written fact sheet Mosaic tells us there is no potential health risk to anyone. They say a pump failed spilling what's called processed water.
“Processed water? Honestly I don’t really know what that means," said Schultz.
Processed water is not-drinkable. Mosaic says it is a 2% phosphoric acid solution, typically used in plants. The company cleaned it up and says there is no impact outside their gates.
Despite hearing this, neighbors are not set at ease. They tell us, they immediately think of Mosaic's other problem about 12 miles away in southern Polk County.
“They have one problem and then another problem. It keeps going. It just makes people concerned," said Tiffany Schultz.
This spooked family says it is all too close for comfort, too close to their home, and too close in timeframe from the sinkhole to this spill. They insist, Mosaic should have let them know there was a problem.
“How are we not notified since it happened so close?" said John Schultz.
Mosaic claims they followed state law. An emergency rule requires them to notify the media and Florida's Department of Environmental Protection of any pollution incidents.
Mosaic maintains that there is no potential risk to the public health due to the water spill at the Plant City facility.
When it comes to their other facility, you can bet folks in Polk County are paying close attention to any new developments.