Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a bill that will allow the Florida Department of Transportation to study the use of phosphogypsum, a mildly radioactive byproduct of the phosphate manufacturing process, in road construction.
The measure — dubbed the “radioactive roads” bill by critics — was lobbied by Tampa-based Fortune 500 fertilizer company Mosaic, which would benefit from selling its byproduct and last month hosted and paid nearly $25,000 for a fundraising event for the state lawmaker who sponsored the controversial bill.
Records reviewed by the Tampa Bay Times show Mosaic is already seeking approval from federal environmental regulators to begin testing phosphogypsum in a roadway at its New Wales facility. Depending on the results of the state’s study and federal approval, the bill could pave the way — literally — for phosphogypsum use in American roads for the first time in years.
