#ThrowbackThursday: Scott-Backed Company that Contaminated Drinking Water 2 Years Ago Finally Seals Sinkhole

Two years after a company Rick Scott had financial interest in dumped more than 200 million gallons in contaminated wastewater into a Florida aquifer and his administration kept the threat secret for weeks, the company Mosaic finally sealed the sinkhole responsible for the contamination this month.

Two years later, Floridians are reminded of the Scott administration’s role in keeping this secret and his financial interests in the company his administration sought to protect. Florida Democratic Party spokesman Sebastian Kitchen released the following statement:

“Rick Scott worried more about his pocketbook than the people of Florida when he kept this health hazard secret for weeks. There is no greater example of Scott’s self-serving politics and him placing himself above the people of Florida, their health and the environment. These damning conflicts of interest are another reason Scott needs to disclose his finances so Floridians can clearly see all of the times he put himself above their best interests.”

Rick Scott’s Sordid History with Mosaic

Scott Acquired His Mosaic Investment While In Governor’s Office. “Gov. Scott acquired his Mosaic investment while in office. His first blind, created in April 2011 a few months after he was sworn in, disclosed no ownership of Mosaic shares.” [Florida Bulldog, 9/22/16]

Scott’s Ownership Interest In Mosaic Was Valued At $14,000 In His Blind Trust. “When Gov. Rick Scott put $133 million of his assets into a blind trust two years ago, he included his shares of Mosaic, owner of the Central Florida fertilizer plant where 215 million gallons of contaminated wastewater recently drained into an aquifer that provides drinking water for millions of Floridians. Scott’s ownership interest in Mosaic was relatively small – he valued it at about $14,000 on the list of assets he placed in the blind trust – yet it provides another example of how the governor’s sprawling personal finances conflict, or appear to conflict, with his official duties.” [Florida Bulldog, 9/22/16]

Public Found Out About Mosaic Sinkhole. “Although geologists say the reason should have been obvious, state records show that it took 10 days before Mosaic officials used the word ‘sinkhole.’ As contaminated water continued pouring down into the aquifer, Mosaic and state officials both avoided using the ‘s-word.’ No Mosaic reports included it until Sept. 9. The public didn’t find out until Sept. 15 — that’s 19 days after the crisis started.” [Tampa Bay Times, 11/1/16]

No Mosaic Reports Mentioned Sinkhole Until September 9, 2016. “Although geologists say the reason should have been obvious, state records show that it took 10 days before Mosaic officials used the word ‘sinkhole.’ As contaminated water continued pouring down into the aquifer, Mosaic and state officials both avoided using the ‘s-word.’ No Mosaic reports included it until Sept. 9. The public didn’t find out until Sept. 15 — that’s 19 days after the crisis started.” [Tampa Bay Times, 11/1/16]

The Government “Kept The Lid” On Mosaic Sinkhole. “A giant sinkhole sucked hundreds of millions of gallons of radioactive water from a gypsum stack in Mulberry and dumped it into our aquifer. Now, we’ve found out the government kept the lid on it.” [WFLA, 9/16/16]