Mosaic to Pay Over $2 Billion for Mishandling Hazardous Waste

BRADENTON – Fertilizer giant Mosaic, the largest phosphate mining company in the world, has agreed to pay nearly $2 billion in a hazardous waste lawsuit settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency. The company also agreed to clean up operations at six sites in Florida and two in Louisiana, the EPA announced on Thursday.

The EPA had accused the multi-billion dollar company in a federal lawsuit of improper storage and disposal of waste from the production of phosphoric and sulfuric acids at Mosaic operations in Bartow, New Wales, Mulberry, Riverview, South Pierce and Green Bay in Florida, as well as two sites in Louisiana.

The agency said that the 60 billion pounds of hazardous waste addressed in this case is the largest amount ever covered by a federal or state settlement and will "ensure that wastewater at Mosaic's facilities is properly managed and does not pose a threat to groundwater resources."

The EPA discovered that employees for the company had been mixing highly-corrosive substances from its fertilizer operations with the solid waste and wastewater from mineral processing. The process violated federal and state hazardous waste laws.