Three months ago, a rupture at the former Piney Point phosphate plant sent hundreds of millions of gallons of toxic water into Tampa Bay. We take a tour of one towering "gypstack" to see what's being done to keep that from happening again.

In our ongoing series on phosphate mines, WUSF reports on the long, tangled history of Florida's phosphate mines and the environment.

An emergency order issued in April by Florida's Department of Environmental Protection expired this week.

Even though recent water quality tests have not been detecting nutrients of the Piney Point wastewater spill, researchers believe current red tide and cyanobacteria blooms across Tampa Bay are likely being exacerbated by the nutrients which still exist in the bay's ecosystems.

Four areas in lower Tampa Bay that had low concentrations of red tide earlier this week now have medium concentrations.

Hopes has been serving on an interim basis since April 1.

USF scientists say they're seeing a decline in the amount of nutrients from the original release in late March.

Piney Point's owner is among the targets of the lawsuit, which seeks a full cleanup and closure of the former phosphate plant.

Fish kills were reported in Sarasota and Charlotte counties, and respiratory irritations were also recorded there, along with Manatee County.

Because of a legally required 72-hour “cooling off” period, the budget is required to be finalized and printed Tuesday for the annual legislative session to end on time Friday.

One commissioner said the well is a better option than having millions more gallons of wastewater dumped into Tampa Bay.

A groundwater expert says treating the millions of gallons of polluted water remaining at the former phosphate plant in Manatee County could be very costly, and that pumping it down an injection well is not as uncommon or concerning as some may think.