BOCC Approves Bleach Plant's

BRADENTON – On Tuesday, the Manatee County Commission approved an agreement with Allied New Technologies 2, a sodium hypochlorite manufacturer (bleach), to allow it to dispose of its brine wastewater in the county’s Buffalo Creek injection well. The agreement was approved in a 6-1 vote of the board.

The well, located at 8500 69th Street East (commonly referred to as the Buffalo Creek well), received its initial Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) permit in 2020 for the limited use of the disposal of reclaimed water and brine wastewater that would be produced by a future county-owned and operated reverse osmosis plant. Though the Class 1 well was built to industrial standards, the finalized permit issued by FDEP only permitted the original intended use, requiring a modification application to permit the disposal of brine wastewater from Allied at the site.

Initially, the county requested a "major" permit modification, seeking FDEP approval to dispose of two wastewater streams at the Buffalo Creek well–brine waste from Allied’s bleach production plant and wastewater from the former phosphate processing plant known as Piney Point. Approximately one month after submitting the request, the county revised its application to remove the Piney Point wastewater stream from the application, seeking only to allow Allied to dispose of its brine waste. FDEP granted the permit modification.

During Tuesday’s BOCC meeting, former Florida Senate President Bill Galvano addressed the commission as a legal representative for Allied. Galvano told commissioners that the Buffalo Creek well was originally designed and constructed to standards to accept disposal of brine waste that would be produced from the county’s future reverse osmosis facility. The reverse osmosis plant–which is in the county’s CIP–would be constructed for the purpose of turning brackish water into a potable water source. Galvano insisted that brine waste from either a reverse osmosis plant or a bleach production plant would be no different from one another. Furthermore, Galvano told commissioners that Allied would pay the county $7.66 per every 1000 gallons of brine waste it disposed of.

There were no scientific studies presented during the meeting, and no reports detailing the wastewater’s comparable make-up were attached to the agenda item for review, but the President of Allied Universal Corp (the parent company of Allied New Technologies 2) Jim Palmer assured the public and commissioners Tuesday that the brine wastewater is little more than concentrated salt water.

"This brine has already been tested with primary and secondary drinking standards," Palmer explained. "I wouldn’t want to drink it, but if you drank it, it would make you sick, but just like ocean water. It is very similar to ocean water, that is the best way to describe it," he added.

Commissioner James Satcher of county district 1 expressed concern over approving the disposal of the brine wastewater into the county well, which is located in his district.

Satcher reflected on prior discussions of commissioners concerning whether any additional wastewater streams would ever be permitted into the deep injection well constructed to dispose of Piney Point’s wastewater, asking his colleagues, "Why in the world is it that the Piney Point well was 'never put anything different down there' but now this well, right next to the school and people’s homes, no big deal, go ahead?"

Currently, Allied trucks its brine waste across the state for disposal at an injection well owned by the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority. According to Allied President Jim Palmer, the company has been disposing of its brine at the site without any issues or incidents for several years.

Satcher added that in his perspective, unlike the board’s approval to construct an injection well to dispose of Piney Point wastewater in efforts to close the former plant for good, the request to approve the disposal of Allied’s wastewater did not present a pressing need.

"Here we have a deal where this stuff (Allied’s brine waste) is going to another county. Why not take advantage of that?" Satcher asked. "If this absolutely has to go down a well that is close by here, why not put it down Piney Point well?"

Satcher argued that granting Allied permission to dispose at the Piney Point deep well would offer a more suitable location away from residences as well as save the company money due to the Piney Point well being in closer proximity to its plant’s location near the port. Allied’s plant is located within HRK Holdings' property adjacent to the port and the old gypsum stacks.

County Administrator Scott Hopes insisted that the bleach product produced by Allied is one of significant importance to Manatee County. The bleach is used in the county’s treatment of wastewater, drinking water, and swimming pools. In addition, said Hopes, Allied has increased its production of bleach in response to the Piney Point closure efforts, and Hopes estimated that the company will provide millions of gallons of bleach needed to pretreat the wastewater from Piney Point before it can be disposed of into the deep well for total closure of the site.

"We are a large customer," Hopes continued, "We are like family and we are very fortunate to have them (Allied) located where they are."

Concerning the benefit to county residents, beyond the value of the product produced by the company, Hopes added that Allied will be paying Manatee County more per 1000 gallons of brine wastewater disposed of than it has previously paid to Fort Pierce for disposal at its utilities well.

"This is sterile, clean brine going deep down into brine," Hopes assured the board. "This is a well that was designed specifically for this material," he added.

Despite the assurances and explanations offered by Hopes, Palmer, county staff, and representatives of Allied, Commissioner Satcher was not swayed from his position that the chemical company’s waste should not be disposed of in the county’s well at Buffalo Creek.

In the end, a motion was made by Commissioner George Kruse to approve the agreement, which was seconded by Commissioner Vanessa Baugh. All commissioners voted in favor except for Satcher.

Along with the approval of the agreement with Allied, the board also unanimously approved the adoption of an amendment to county ordinance 22-109. The ordinance establishes the local regulatory authority of the injection wells and the criteria for current and future uses. The criteria prevent disposal of any liquids other than non-hazardous brines at county-owned injection wells.