Florida lawmakers have produced a bill that would have the state pave its roads with radioactive waste. Now on the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis, HB 1191 could compel the Florida Department of Transportation to study the use of phosphogypsum—a radioactive byproduct of fertilizer production—as a paving material, according to an NPR report. The bill...
The bill, which is reportedly being opposed by conservation groups, sets an April 1, 2024 deadline for Florida's transportation department to make a recommendation on the use of phosphogypsum. If approved, the material would be used alongside other aggregates like crushed stone, gravel, and sand.
Florida is a major producer of fertilizer, and that leaves a lot of phosphogypsum as waste. Phosphorous is an important component of fertilizer, helping plants to grow strong roots and increasing crop productivity, according to NPR. To get it, phosphate rock is dissolved in sulfuric acid to make phosphoric acid.This commonly used production process, which dates back to the 1840s, isn't very efficient, the report explains.
However, phosphogypsum also contains"appreciable quantities" of the radioactive element uranium and other radioactive elements produced through the natural decay of uranium, according to the EPA. Uranium decay forms radium-226, which in turn decays to form radon, a cancer-causing radioactive gas.
The EPA doesn't allow use of phosphogypsum in road construction, a policy that's been in place almost continuously for 30 years . The agency told NPR that Florida will have to apply for approval. So while road builders have
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