Mosaic battles storm damage and environmental concerns after Hurricane Milton

The Mosaic Company, one of the world’s largest producers of phosphate and potash fertilizers, recently halted all operations across Florida in anticipation of Hurricane Milton. The move was intended to mitigate potential damage, as the company had already experienced disruption weeks earlier from Hurricane Helene. Both storms have affected its operations, particularly at the Riverview facility, where heavy rainfall caused a wastewater spill into Tampa Bay.

According to Mosaic, the company’s water collection system at its Riverview gypstack—holding slightly radioactive byproducts of phosphate fertilizer production—was overwhelmed by over 15 inches of rain from Hurricane Milton. As a result, wastewater flowed out of a manhole and may have reached Tampa Bay through an outfall. The volume of the spill is yet to be confirmed, but it is believed to have exceeded the 17,500-gallon threshold for reporting. Company representatives expect that any impacts on water quality will be modest.

Mosaic has been coordinating with state environmental regulators, who are currently on-site to assess the situation. The gypstack in question had been inactive, but the unprecedented rainfall caused by back-to-back hurricanes overwhelmed the plant’s infrastructure.

Besides Riverview, another incident occurred in Polk County, where approximately 70,000 gallons of treated effluent spilled from a wastewater treatment pipeline operated by Mosaic. The spill, triggered by fireline cutting activities, did not impact rivers or lakes, according to reports.

Despite the operational and environmental disruptions, Mosaic stated that no significant long-term environmental damage has been observed. The company has begun the process of restoring power to its facilities, with plans to resume full production in the coming days. The ports in the affected areas have also reopened, allowing the company to begin resuming operations.

Mosaic noted that its phosphate and fertilizer production in Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, and Hardee counties had been affected, but early assessments indicate only limited damage to the facilities and product inventories. The company will provide further updates on production losses and the full scope of the impact as recovery efforts continue.

In addition to addressing these operational challenges, Mosaic contributed $500,000 to aid recovery efforts in its operating communities in Florida. The company has also implemented internal support programs for affected employees, including an Employee-to-Employee Assistance Fund.

While the full impact of Hurricanes Milton and Helene on Mosaic’s operations will become clearer in the coming weeks, the company’s initial response has focused on safeguarding the environment and ensuring the wellbeing of its workforce and surrounding communities.