EPA Okays Mosaic ‘Pilot’ Phosphogypsum Road Prooect

The U.S. Enviornmental Protection Agency has given Mosaic the go-ahead to incorporate a radioactive fertilizer waste called phosphogypsum into some roads that will be constructed on the phosphate corporation’s property at its New Wales plant south of Mulberry, The Hill reports.
This issue, which had been discussed for decades, came before the Florida Legislature last year and legislators approved a bill directing the Florida Department of Transportation to study the feasibility.
The FDOT study concluded more study was necessary.
The issue is that the waste contains radium, which produces radon. a gas that has been linked to greater risk of lung cancer through indoor exposure. There is no. ambient air standard for radon.
The waste was used to build a road west of Fort Meade decades ago when the idea first was discussed seriously. Follow-up studies reportedly found no environmental of health problems.
The article quoted EPA officials as saying the Mosaic decision should not be interpreted to mean other approvals are forthcoming.
This issue has arisen because Mosaic and other U.S. phosphate companies are required to pile the waste in stacks the size of small hills and monitor them forever at some expense.
One of the unanswered questions is, even if the waste’s use was authorized whether there would be enough demand to significantly reduce the size of the stacks, which continue to grow as phosphate mining and fertilizer manufacturing continue to add material to the stacks.
Posted in Group Conservation Issues.