The Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has sparked heated controversy by approving the use of radioactive waste in a Florida road construction project. The decision allows Mosaic Fertilizer LLC, a Tampa-based phosphate fertilizer producer, to construct a private road using phosphogypsum, a byproduct of phosphate fertilizer production that contains radioactive elements.
Phosphogypsum is highly regulated due to its radioactivity. Traditionally, this waste is stored in engineered stacks to minimize public exposure. However, the EPA’s approval marks a significant shift, with environmental groups raising alarm about potential risks to public health and the environment.
Phosphogypsum is a byproduct created during the processing of phosphate ore into phosphoric acid, a key ingredient in fertilizer. It contains radium, which decays into radon, a radioactive gas linked to approximately 21,000 lung cancer deaths annually, according to EPA estimates.
Under the Clean Air Act, phosphogypsum is usually stored in protective stacks to prevent it from contaminating the surrounding environment. However, its hazardous properties have led to concerns about its potential impact when repurposed in projects like road construction.
A 2022 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Heliyon highlighted the environmental risks of phosphogypsum, noting that it can severely damage soils, water systems, and the atmosphere. The study also warned about the release of hazardous gases, including Radon-222, and the spread of pollutants to nearby areas.
In a statement accompanying its decision, the EPA claimed, “Results from multiple modeling efforts indicate that risks due to the proposed pilot project are low.”
The project involves constructing a road on private property at Mosaic Fertilizer’s New Wales facility in Florida. The EPA emphasized that this is a pilot project, suggesting the agency views it as an opportunity to evaluate the feasibility and safety of using phosphogypsum in construction.
Despite these assurances, the move has ignited backlash from environmental groups and public health advocates. Critics argue that even a small-scale project could pose significant risks to workers, nearby communities, and Florida’s already fragile groundwater systems.
Environmentalists have been quick to condemn the EPA’s decision. Ragan Whitlock, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, voiced strong concerns about the project’s potential hazards.
“This dramatically increases the potential for harm to our road crews and water quality,” Whitlock said. He warned that using phosphogypsum in construction could lead to leaching of radioactive materials into the environment, jeopardizing both public health and ecological systems.
The risks extend beyond immediate exposure. Critics fear that once radioactive material is integrated into infrastructure, monitoring and mitigating its long-term effects will be challenging, if not impossible.
This decision has broader implications for environmental policy under the Biden administration. While the president has often championed efforts to combat climate change and promote public health, critics argue that this move undermines those goals.
“The EPA’s approval of this project flies in the face of years of environmental progress,” one activist said. “It sets a dangerous precedent for prioritizing industry interests over community safety and environmental sustainability.”
Mosaic Fertilizer, the company behind the project, has long been a major player in the phosphate fertilizer industry. With Florida hosting the majority of the U.S.’s phosphate mines, the state has faced decades of environmental challenges tied to fertilizer production, including sinkholes, groundwater contamination, and pollution from phosphogypsum stacks.
Proponents of the project argue that it could provide a cost-effective and innovative solution for managing phosphogypsum, which is expensive to store and increasingly problematic for the industry. By repurposing the material, they claim, companies could reduce waste while contributing to infrastructure development.
However, environmentalists counter that the risks far outweigh the potential benefits. They argue that using a radioactive material like phosphogypsum in public infrastructure is reckless and short-sighted.
As the pilot project moves forward, all eyes will be on Mosaic Fertilizer and the EPA to see how they address the growing concerns. Activists are already calling for increased transparency, independent testing, and strict oversight to ensure the project does not result in environmental harm or public health crises.
The controversy also raises questions about the role of the federal government in balancing economic development with environmental protection. For now, Floridians are left wondering whether the radioactive road is a step toward innovation—or a gamble with long-term consequences.
In a state already grappling with environmental challenges, this decision has only added to the debate over how to manage hazardous materials responsibly
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And these are the same assholes in the most evil Demonic Federal Government Administration to ever exist in America that says American Citizens must now stop heating their homes because that is causing severe Climate Change; this claim with the Freak Globetrotting Jet Setter John Kerry leading that charge as he flies around daily in his big private jet! It’s high time we start nailing all of these out of control elitists and officials to the floorboards and lock them up for life!
Total Insanity derived from greedy Leftist Communists that see a way to hold onto more of the loot they rip off of Americans and also eliminate some of them in the process with cancer and other diseases once this radioactive material contaminates the water table and starts poisoning them!