ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The potential harm from the Piney Point wastewater spill could go beyond impacting water quality and wildlife to affecting tourism.
Some soon-to-be visitors from around the country are reconsidering their vacation plans due to fears brought on by the lack of solid information about the potential of a serious red tide event in the near future.
Piney Point is a closed phosphate plant in northern Manatee County with retention ponds built into gypsum stacks that contain polluted wastewater. A leak in one of these ponds was discovered last month, prompting a response from multiple state and federal agencies, including the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers. Officials identified a leak in a containment wall that put the structure at risk of collapsing, resulting in Gov. Ron DeSantis declaring a state of emergency and the county ordering the evacuation of more than 300 homes and businesses in the area for fear that a total collapse could cause a major flooding event.
Concerns among residents, environmental officials, and now, tourists, center around a potential red tide algae bloom. Red tide can kill marine life, cause the water to be murky and have an unpleasant odor, and pose a health threat to humans.
The Sun asked three people from three states about the Piney Point spill’s effect on their travel plans.
“We had to cancel last summer’s vacation to Anna Maria Island due to COVID. This summer we have a reservation for two weeks, and we may have to cancel it. I’m starting to think I’m bad luck for the Island,” said Darrah Gohring, of Marion, Ohio.
Gohring has been following the local and national news related to Piney Point very closely. Her family has been looking forward to what she described as “two weeks in paradise” ever since having to cancel last year. They are first-time visitors, and have already paid in advance for their rental near Bean Point.
“This probably wouldn’t be as much of an issue if it weren’t for the fact that both me and my daughter are severely asthmatic, and we really don’t want to wind up in the hospital,” Gohring said, emphasizing how excited her daughter has been over this family trip.
For now, the Gohring family is going to see if the rental owner will refund their payment. The owner doesn’t appear to be legally obligated to refund the payment, but Gohring is hoping the owner will be sympathetic to their unique situation. For now, the family will continue to follow the news, and intends to make a decision soon.
A father of two young children from Atlanta asked that we only use his first name, Clay. Along with his wife and two children, ages 2 and 5, Clay’s family vacation to the Bradenton Beach area is scheduled for June 26-July 3 and will be their first trip to the Island. Like others, Clay said the possibility of a red tide bloom due to the Piney Point spill is of serious concern to his family.
“We’ve done Panama City and some other beaches farther north, but this will be our first time to Anna Maria,” Clay said. When asked why he and his family chose AMI for this vacation, he said it was totally random. They Googled Florida beaches with white sand, clear water and a laid-back atmosphere, and Anna Maria Island kept popping up. It was enough for Clay to book with a good deal of confidence he had found the right place for his family to relax and enjoy the sun.
lay said that even though they are watching the situation closely, and may change their decision, for now, the trip is a green light and they plan to visit as scheduled. While Clay and others purchased travel insurance, it appears that as long as beaches are open and no evacuation order has been put in place, the insurance will not cover a cancellation.
Kim Reynolds, of Detroit, Mich., and her husband and college-age son and daughter are already here enjoying their vacation in Holmes Beach. The Reynolds family will be heading home Saturday, April 17.
“I feel really bad for people who have to make the tough decision of whether to risk it, and hope for the best, or possibly lose a lot of money canceling a non-refundable beach rental here on the Island. God knows it’s not cheap!” she said. “I’m a public school teacher, and we save our money all year to stay at a nice place and eat at nice restaurants when we visit Anna Maria. Suffering through the brutal Michigan winters is a little easier when the light at the end of the tunnel is a tropical paradise like this. I honestly don’t know what we would do if we were in that situation, but I have a feeling we would come regardless, and hope for the best.”
Gohring expressed a sentiment common among all three visitors – a genuine concern for local residents.
“I feel so bad for you guys; we are just coming for a couple of weeks, but you live there, this is your home,” Gohring said. “I really hope everything is ok and it’s far better than a worst-case scenario.”
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