In a controversial move, the Environmental Protection Agency has approved a pilot project allowing Mosaic, a Florida-based phosphate company, to experiment with using phosphogypsum—a radioactive byproduct of phosphate mining—for road construction. This test project will take place at Mosaic’s New Wales facility in Polk County, where four sections of road will be built using different mixtures of phosphogypsum as a base material.
Phosphogypsum is produced during the processing of phosphate rock, an essential component in fertilizers, according to reports. When phosphate rock is dissolved in acid to extract phosphorus, it leaves behind waste material containing radioactive elements such as radium. Under current federal regulations, phosphogypsum must be stored in massive engineered stacks, some of which tower hundreds of feet high and span acres of land, to minimize public exposure to radiation.
The Hill writes that in the past, the agency has raised concerns about the use of this material in road building. It said in 1992 that use of phosphogypsum in road construction created risks for both construction workers and also anyone who later builds a home where the phosphogypsum road had once been.
The agency now says that members of the public are not expected to come into contact with the road.
However, Mosaic, which will build the road, has described the effort as part of a pilot project that will “demonstrate the range of … road construction designs.” It’s not clear if additional road construction will follow — though doing so would likely require further approvals.
The EPA’s approval comes with strict limitations, emphasizing that this decision applies exclusively to Mosaic’s pilot project. The agency made it clear that any broader use of phosphogypsum for construction would require separate applications, risk assessments, and regulatory approval.
Environmental groups have strongly criticized the EPA’s decision, calling it reckless and dangerous. Organizations such as the Center for Biological Diversity have accused the agency of bowing to industry pressure. Ragan Whitlock, an attorney for the group, argued that the decision increases the potential harm to construction workers and risks contaminating water supplies.
Florida legislators have already signaled their interest in phosphogypsum’s potential for road construction. In 2023, the state passed legislation broadening the list of materials approved for public road projects. However, the Florida Department of Transportation continues to evaluate the material’s long-term safety and feasibility.
For now, Mosaic’s pilot project will serve as a critical case study. Its outcomes could influence whether phosphogypsum becomes a viable road construction material across the country or remains a heavily regulated and controversial byproduct.
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Seems to me some bureaucrats may have made a questionable deal. Although noted that it may be a “critical case study” any health issues that arise will only burden the citizens and taxpayers of the country for the sake of projected profit and financial gain which is motivated by greed and ghost bureaucrats.
“For now, Mosaic’s pilot project will serve as a critical case study. Its outcomes could influence whether phosphogypsum becomes a viable road construction material across the country or remains a heavily regulated and controversial byproduct.”
I wouldn’t want it in the road in from of my home and children’s playground.
How about using it for test purposes only in Washington DC first.
GREAT idea!! When lobbyists’ influence meets legislators’ well being, legislators will face the same choices as the rest of us!
For all roads in the nation, awesome
Hmm – who knows what phony stats were used to ‘justify’ this move, perhaps there was info that the roads would glow in the dark thus making night time driving ‘safer’……………..