Florida bill allowing use of radioactive toxic waste for roads heads to DeSantis

The Florida Senate on Monday gave final approval to a bill that could be a step toward using phosphogypsum, a byproduct of the phosphate industry, in building roads.

Senators voted 34-4 to approve the bill (HB 1191), which passed the House last week.

It is now ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The issue has drawn attention, at least in part, because phosphogypsum includes radioactive elements. It is stored in huge stacks.

The bill would allow the Department of Transportation to move forward with demonstration projects that include phosphogypsum in aggregate materials in road construction.

The department would conduct a study on the issue. “Upon a determination of suitability by the department, phosphogypsum from phosphate production may be used as a construction aggregate material in accordance with the conditions of the United States Environmental Protection Agency approval for the use,” the bill says.

Opponents raised questions about potential hazards from using phosphogypsum, including whether it could harm people working on roads and whether it could affect water in aquifers.

Senate sponsor Jay Trumbull, R-Panama City, said the study would look at such issues.

The dissenting votes were cast by Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boca Raton, Sen. Rosalind Osgood, D-Fort Lauderdale, Sen. Geraldine Thompson, D-Windermere, and Sen. Victor Torres, D-Orlando.

This article appears in Apr 27 – May 3, 2023.