The Florida Department of Environmental Protection this week issued draft permits for Mosaic Fertilizer to drill two exploratory wells in Polk County that could be a step toward injecting wastewater underground.
The department will hold meetings Sept. 9 and Sept. 10 in Bartow to obtain public comments about the draft permits, according to notices published Friday in the Florida Administrative Register.
Mosaic, a major player in the state’s phosphate industry, applied in early 2024 for approval to drill exploratory wells at sites in Mulberry and Bartow.
The department issued draft permits Tuesday for wells that would be 8,000 feet deep, according to the Florida Administrative Register notices.
“Injection or disposal of wastewater is not authorized under this draft permit,” each notice said.
“The information from the exploratory well and associated monitor well would be used to provide additional information to evaluate the suitability of the subsurface geology and confinement for potential underground injection activities. Any underground injection of wastewater would require a separate permit authorization.”
The Sept. 9 meeting will be about the Bartow site, while the Sept. 10 meeting will be about the Mulberry site.
