Gov. DeSantis signs bill to test use of controversial radioactive road material - WESH 2 Orlando
'Radioactive' roads: DeSantis signs law to test phosphogypsum
GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS IS PAVING THE WAY FOR SOME CONTROVERSIAL RESEARCH ON ROADS INVOLVING RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL. THIS IS BEING ALLOWED AFTER THE GOVERNOR SIGNED A BILL INTO LAW YESTERDAY. IT ALLOWS THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO STUDY ROAD CONSTRUCTION USING A BATTERY THAT MANY PEOPLE SAY COULD INCREASE PEOPLE’S RISK FOR CANCER. WESH 2’S ANIKA HOPE SHARES WHAT THIS MEANS FOR FLORIDIANS. FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SIGNED A BILL INTO LAW THURSDAY THAT WILL ALLOW RESEARCHERS TO STUDY ROAD CONSTRUCTION USING A CONTROVERSIAL MATERIAL PHOSPHOR GYPSUM. SO FAR, GYPSUM IS A BYPRODUCT OF THE FERTILIZER PRODUCTION PROCESS. SYNTHETIC FERTILIZERS ARE MADE WITH PHOSPHATE ROCK, WHICH IS DUG OUT FROM UNDER THE GROUND HERE IN FLORIDA. ALEX BENSON IS AN ATTORNEY WITH THE CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, WHICH ADVOCATED AGAINST THE LAW. THE CONCERN THAT WASTE PRODUCT PHOSPHATE GYPSUM IS DESCRIBED BY THE EPA AS A RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL THAT CONTAINS SMALL AMOUNTS OF URANIUM AND RADIUM, WHICH CAN BITE OFF RADON GAS, WHICH CAN CAUSE CANCER IN PEOPLE. THERE ARE ALSO HEAVY METALS IN MANY OTHER THINGS THAT ARE TOXIC TO PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THAT WASTE BECAUSE OF THAT RISK PHOSPHATE GYPSUM IS FEDERALLY REQUIRED TO BE STORED IN GYPSY SYSTEMS, NOT LANDFILLS. IN AN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT IT FROM COMING IN TO CONTACT WITH PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT. CHOPPER TWO FLEW OVER SOME OF THOSE CHIP SACS IN AND AROUND POLK COUNTY CONNECTED TO THE TAMPA BASED FORTUNE 500 FERTILIZER COMPANY MOSAIC, WHO FUNDRAISED AND LOBBIED HEAVILY IN FAVOR OF THE NEW LAW IN A STATEMENT. MOSAIC TOLD US IN PART, NO ONE WANTS FLORIDA TO FALL BEHIND THE REST OF THE WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO POTENTIAL FOR PHOSPHATE GYPSUM. THIS IS A STUDY. WE WANT MORE, NOT LESS, KNOWLEDGE AROUND THIS TOPIC, AND SO SHOULD EVERYONE ELSE. THIS MEANS IT’S NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO BE USED ON YOUR INTERSTATE OR HIGHWAY JUST YET. THEY’RE STUDYING ITS EFFECT ON THE FOLKS THAT MIGHT BE HAULING IT TO THE SITE. THEY’RE STUDYING ITS EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING WITH IT ON SITE. THEY’RE SEEING THE EFFECTS OF THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS. AND EVEN PEOPLE RIDING BICYCLES ARE A SUBSET. PEOPLE RIDING ON THE ROADWAYS ARE A SUBSET. EPA EXPERT CONSULTANTS HAVE FOUND THAT IT WOULD EXPOSE THE PUBLIC, PARTICULARLY ROAD WORKERS, TO AN UNACCEPTABLE HIGH LEVEL OF CANCER RISK. AND THERE ARE MANY OTHER TOXINS WITHIN THAT WITH THAT COULD ALSO LEACH INTO WATER, COULD BE BLOWN UP INTO THE AIR AND DUST BY ROAD, EXCUSE ME, BY CARS DRIVING ON THE ROADS. FLORIDA’S TRANSPORTATION AGENCY NOW HAS LESS THAN A YEAR TO COMPLETE A STUDY AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION. THE DEADLINE IS APRIL 1ST OF
Gov. DeSantis signs bill to test use of controversial radioactive road material
Updated: 6:07 PM EDT Jun 30, 2023
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law Thursday that will allow researchers to study road construction, using a controversial material, phosphogypsum."Phosphogypsum is a byproduct of the fertilizer production process. Synthetic fertilizers are made with phosphate rock, which is dug out from under the ground here in Florida," Elise Bennett, the Florida and Caribbean director, and attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said.The Center for Biological Diversity advocated against the law, noting that the waste product phosphogypsum is described by the EPA as a "radioactive material" that contains "small amounts" of uranium and radium."Which can let off radon gas, which can cause cancer in people. There are also heavy metals and many other things that are toxic to people that are in that waste," Bennett said.Because of that risk, phosphogypsum is federally required to be stored in gypstack systems. This is meant to prevent it from coming in contact with and harming people and the environment.Chopper 2 flew over some of those gypsum stacks in and around Polk County, connected to the Tampa-based Fortune 500 fertilizer company Mosaic which fundraised and lobbied heavily in favor of the new law. In a statement, Mosaic said: “We’re thankful the state sees the value in following the science so that we can all learn more about the beneficial reuse of phosphogypsum. Attempts to confuse or make this legislation appear to be something else were just that, scare tactics. This allows the state to move forward with fact-finding and research. No one wants Florida to fall behind the rest of the world when it comes to potential uses for PG. This is a study; we want more not less knowledge around this topic and so should everyone else. And again, at the end of the day, ultimate approval rests with the EPA.”This means it's not necessarily going to be used on just any interstate or highway yet."They're studying its effects on the folks who might be hauling it to the site, who might be working with it on the site, adjacent property owners, even people riding bicycles, people riding on the roadways," Republican state Rep. Robert Andrade of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties said."EPA expert consultants have found that it would expose the public, particularly road workers, to an unacceptably high level of cancer risk. And there are many other toxins within that waste that could also leach into the water could be blown up into the air and dust by cars driving on the roads," Bennett said.The Florida Department of Transportation must now complete a study and make a recommendation as their deadline is April 1 of next year.The EPA has mostly banned the use of phosphogypsum in projects for over thirty years. So any future request by the state for construction with the material would have to be approved by the EPA first.Top headlines:New Florida Buc-ee's will be world's largestWild video: Florida paddleboarder has close encounter with hammerhead sharkPolice say man put officer in chokehold at Spirit counter of Orlando airport
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law Thursday that will allow researchers to study road construction, using a controversial material, phosphogypsum.
"Phosphogypsum is a byproduct of the fertilizer production process. Synthetic fertilizers are made with phosphate rock, which is dug out from under the ground here in Florida," Elise Bennett, the Florida and Caribbean director, and attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said.
The Center for Biological Diversity advocated against the law, noting that the waste product phosphogypsum is described by the EPA as a "radioactive material" that contains "small amounts" of uranium and radium.
"Which can let off radon gas, which can cause cancer in people. There are also heavy metals and many other things that are toxic to people that are in that waste," Bennett said.
Because of that risk, phosphogypsum is federally required to be stored in gypstack systems. This is meant to prevent it from coming in contact with and harming people and the environment.
Chopper 2 flew over some of those gypsum stacks in and around Polk County, connected to the Tampa-based Fortune 500 fertilizer company Mosaic which fundraised and lobbied heavily in favor of the new law.
In a statement, Mosaic said: “We’re thankful the state sees the value in following the science so that we can all learn more about the beneficial reuse of phosphogypsum. Attempts to confuse or make this legislation appear to be something else were just that, scare tactics. This allows the state to move forward with fact-finding and research. No one wants Florida to fall behind the rest of the world when it comes to potential uses for PG. This is a study; we want more not less knowledge around this topic and so should everyone else. And again, at the end of the day, ultimate approval rests with the EPA.”
This means it's not necessarily going to be used on just any interstate or highway yet.
"They're studying its effects on the folks who might be hauling it to the site, who might be working with it on the site, adjacent property owners, even people riding bicycles, people riding on the roadways," Republican state Rep. Robert Andrade of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties said.
"EPA expert consultants have found that it would expose the public, particularly road workers, to an unacceptably high level of cancer risk. And there are many other toxins within that waste that could also leach into the water could be blown up into the air and dust by cars driving on the roads," Bennett said.
The Florida Department of Transportation must now complete a study and make a recommendation as their deadline is April 1 of next year.
The EPA has mostly banned the use of phosphogypsum in projects for over thirty years. So any future request by the state for construction with the material would have to be approved by the EPA first.
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