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DEP: Plant Runoff Not Contaminating Wells Near Sinkhole

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

State environmental officials say that contaminates have been found in private wells of 57 homeowners near the site of a sinkhole at a fertilizer plant, but that the plant's contaminated runoff hasn't been detected in those wells.

The Department of Environmental Protection said Wednesday it is offering additional testing and treatment options for Mulberry well owners, if the wells are used for drinking water.

Groundwater safety in the central Florida community has become a concern since September, when it was announced that millions of gallons of tainted water drained from a waste heap through a 45-foot-wide hole into the Floridan aquifer, which provides water to millions of people.

The sinkhole is on property owned by the Mosaic Co., one of the world's largest producers of phosphate and potash for fertilizer.