The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provisionally approved the use of material containing radioactive radioactive material for road construction in Florida, The Hill reports.
In June, Florida Gov. Ron Desantis signed legislation requiring the region’s Department of Transportation to study the use of phosphogypsum in paving projects.
Environmental groups had urged DeSantis to veto the bill, saying the radioactive material would degrade water quality and expose road construction crews to an increased risk of cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency also has a say in the legislation.
The American chemical company Mosaic Fertilizer LLC, a manufacturer of phosphate and potash fertilizers, asked the EPA to allow the construction of three 200-foot (61 m) stretches of road with phosphogypsum mixtures.
In its preliminary approval, the EPA said the potential risks to public health from radiation from construction of the small-scale pilot project are no greater than those from storing phosphogypsum in a pile.
Phosphogypsum is a byproduct formed during the production of fertilizers from phosphate rock. The agency has previously expressed concerns about the use of the material in road construction. The EPA, in particular, reported that phosphogypsum contains radium, which decomposes to form radon gas, which is radioactive and can cause cancer, RBC clarifies.
