Florida lawmakers seem to want the state’s landscape to resemble something from the video game Fallout. WFTV Orlando reported a bill recently passed in the state legislature to authorize the use of radioactive substances in road construction.
In case you lost it:
Groups from environmental to conservative are calling on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to veto the bill. If signed into law, it would allow the use of phosphogypsum — a type of by product fertilizer production — used in the construction of roads across the state. EPA ban the use of phosphogypsum because of the dangers it poses to public, road workers, and environment.
The use of radioactive material would not begin immediately if DeSantis signs the bill into law. The bill would direct Florida’s Department of Transportation to study the feasibility of using the material on roads in the state. A fairly quick end date for the study has been set for spring 2024.
There are many people who oppose the bill. Some people think that is the way for the fertilizer industry to “swallow up” :TThey won’t have to safely pack and store phosphogypsum because they can deliver it to the state for use (Florida is already home to more than 1 billion tons of it stored in huge piles known as gypstacks) . Others, like attorney Rachael Curran with People for Protecting Peace River basically speak no governor in their mind would consider something like this.
No environmentally conscious or ‘green’ governor worth his salt would sign a bill into law approving the construction of roads with radioactive materials. Even the rapid ‘research’ contemplated by this industry-funded bill would be harmful because it involves a large-scale road project that would have very real, very detrimental effects on to the environment and health of Floridians, especially road construction crews.
The use of phosphogypsum on roads was attempted by the Trump Administration in 2020. EPA withdraws and withdraw permission.
