County leaders are debating whether to continue having a role in the cleanup of Piney Point, a toxic industrial site near Tampa Bay that’s in the midst of lengthy shutdown process.
When a catastrophic breach at Piney Point threatened Manatee County homes with a toxic flood and fueled an environmental disaster five years ago, state leaders promised to clean up the mess with up to $200 million. Manatee County government agreed to help too, establishing a well to dispose of polluted water from the site.
But county officials say they expected the state to refund most of its costs. Instead, Manatee County has so far absorbed about $23 million in unrepaid expenses, staff said…