Polluted water pours into sinkhole at fertilizer plant

Hurricane Matthew’s heavy rains are predicted to soak much of Florida, and that could complicate efforts to manage the pollution flowing into a sinkhole that opened up beneath a fertilizer plant’s massive pile of toxic waste. The plant’s owner, Mosaic Co., is pumping out water through a well while preparing to plug the huge hole under one of its gypsum stacks. But million s of gallons of contaminated water have already drained into Florida’s main drinking-water aquifer. So far, the company and state environmental officials say no contamination has migrated off Mosaic’s property. The company says test results on 260 private wells have shown contaminant levels within legal drinking water standards. Still, more than 850 concerned neighbors want their wells tested for contaminants and radioactivity.