Through an information request, Tallahassee Reports has learned that an outside metalurgical laboratory concluded in August 2012 that the leak in the 7.5 million gallon fuel tank located at the Hopkins Generating Station was caused by a “corrosion attack” and “microbiologically-influenced corrosion.” Also, the lab report and other writings by experts indicate the corrosion could […]
A review of a recent story published in the Tallahassee Democrat, “The Diesel Disaster that Wasn’t”, reveals there were significant financial arrangements between the City of Tallahassee and people interviewed by Tallahassee Democrat reporter Jeff Burlew. The specifics of these arrangements were not disclosed. These arrangements are important to the context of the reporting because […]
Marshall Mott-Smith, who worked with the Florida Department of Environmental (FDEP) regulation for 27 years, believes the fuel leak at the Hopkins Generating Station could have been avoided. When he left FDEP in 2008, Mr. Mott-Smith was the Administrator of the Storage Tank Regulation Section. He worked with nearly 50 DEP District Tanks Program staff […]
The Tallahassee Democrat has finally weighed in on the fuel spill at the Hopkins Generating Station that has avoided public view for over five years. Despite the title of the Democrat’s story, “The Diesel Disaster that Wasn’t”, the details in the report verified thousands of gallons of diesel leaked into the groundwater at the Hopkins […]
Through the review of public records after receiving an anonymous tip, Tallahassee Reports has learned that there was a major diesel fuel spill from an above ground storage tank at the Hopkins Generating power plant that, until now, has not been publicly reported. The spill, which happened in 2012, resulted in thousands of gallons of […]
By Brian Burgess, The Capitolist Dozens of media outlets, both in Florida and nationally, published the sensational story of Dr. Rebekah Jones, a state Department of Health employee who was fired by the administration of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Trump ally, after – she says – she refused to manipulate data to support the […]
A country comparison of death rates per million citizens attributed to COVID-19 shows why elected leaders across the globe find themselves in very different situations. The graph below shows the death rate per million citizens for five countries starting at Day 1. Day 1 is when the number of cases reported for each country was […]
Tallahassee Reports has learned that taxpayers have paid approximately $2.1 million in the clean-up and failed refurbishment costs associated with the Hopkins fuel tank which leaked thousands of gallons of diesel fuel in 2012. Tallahassee Reports has also learned it could cost an additional $2 million to put the tank back in service. The 7.5 […]
Tallahassee Reports has learned that a reporter from WTXL TV contacted the City of Tallahassee in March of 2012 after receiving a tip about the diesel fuel spill at the Hopkins Generating Station. An email obtained by TR shows that the reporter was provided erroneous information by the City of Tallahassee with regards to ground […]
Tallahassee Reports has learned that the City of Tallahassee has provided a formal response to a citizen inquiry about the diesel fuel spill at the Hopkins Generating Station. However, the response is in conflict with reports published by a city vendor hired to provide an assessment and a clean-up protocol. On April 12, 2017, Rob […]