Because public roads and highways were somewhat primitive and private automobiles were not very common, having employees live near to the processing plant was desirable.
Both the Coronet and Pembroke Village sites were generally self-contained small towns with a company store, recreation facilities, and water and sewage infrastructure.
These small self-supporting company villages were fairly common in the Florida phosphate industry from the early 1900s until about 1960.
Residents of the surrounding community alleged that pollution from the plant leached into the groundwater and caused increased rates of cancer amongst other health problems.
Arsenic, boron, cadmium, lead and other dangerous chemicals were detected in residential wells surrounding the plant.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency cautioned state officials about potential health risks associated with leaky equipment and corroded stacks allowing underwater leaching and spills from Coronet, but residents were not notified of ongoing problems with the company's lack of environmental controls.