TAMPA, Fla. – Environmentalists are worried that a recent discharge of wastewater into Tampa Bay could exacerbate a new outbreak of the dreaded red tide algal blooms.
An estimated 215 million gallons of wastewater from the old Piney Point fertilizer plant grounds was discharged earlier this month into Tampa Bay.
About 11 miles away, red tide was found in water samples off Manatee County. [TRENDING: Deputies search for suspects in deadly shooting | Crew-2 arrives at space station | Orlando restaurant owner can’t find workers] “Piney Point loaded the gun, and then that first red tide positive count, they slammed the hammer back on the gun,” said Brian Rosegger, co-founder of nearby Lost Coast Oyster Company.