The state will hold two public meetings this week about plans by Florida's largest phosphate mining company to drill deep injection wells at two plants in Polk County.
Mosaic could eventually use the wells to pump toxic wastewater from the production of fertilizer 8,000 feet underground.
It wants to drill the wells below its former Bonnie Mine near Bartow and its New Wales facility, near Mulberry. The company is trying to determine the makeup of the underground geology.
“Injection or disposal of wastewater is not authorized under this draft permit,” according to the Florida Administrative Register notices.
“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.”
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Any pumping of wastewater from the mine sites would have to come at a future public hearing.
In March, a public hearing was held on an "exploratory" well at an idled Mosaic processing plant north of Plant City.
Tuesday's meeting will be about the Bartow site, with another meeting on Wednesday about the Mulberry site. They will both be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Bartow Agricultural Arena, 1702 Highway 17 South.
More information on the draft permit or a copy of the public meeting's agenda can be obtained by contacting Richard Lobinske, DEP Drinking Water and Aquifer Protection Program, by U.S. mail at 2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 3530, Tallahassee, FL, 32399-2400, by phone at 850-245-8655 or by email at APP@FloridaDEP.gov.
Written public comments can be submitted during the public meeting or can be sent to Richard Lobinske through Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025.
