EPA gives Florida company green light to use radioactive material in road construction

Not The Bee ^ | December 27, 2024 | Staff

[Red Badger]

They call Florida "the Sunshine State," but next time you visit you should maybe be nervous if the sunshine feels, well, a bit too warm:

A Florida company is giving new meaning to the popular 'reduce, reuse, and recycle.' Specifically, it wants to reuse the byproduct produced during phosphate mining to build roads. There's only one problem: It's radioactive.

Now, generally, if someone gives me the option to drive on a radioactive roadway, my response is pretty quick:

PASS.........

But apparently the EPA felt differently! Earlier this week, the Environmental Protection Agency approved the request of Mosaic, the largest phosphate producer in the U.S., to carry out a small-scale pilot project using various mixtures of phosphogypsum as a road base. The company plans to create four sections of test road with the phosphogypsum road base at its New Wales facility in Polk County.

Phosphogypsum is what results from the production of phosphorus when it's separated from phosphate rock. Normally federal law would "require phosphogypsum to be stored in engineered piles, known as stacks, to limit the public's exposure to its radioactive components."

However, the EPA has determined that the public's risk in this new project is "low."

I think we're all wondering the same thing: How low are we talking here?

This is not the first time the EPA has considered this material. In 1992 the agency said, "using phosphogypsum to build roads could create risks for the construction workers involved and others who decide to build homes near the roads in the future."

That feels pretty definitive to me! But I guess 33 years will change some opinions here and there.

The state, meanwhile, "passed a law last year that added [phosphogypsum] to the list of approved materials for public road construction," pending further review.

In any event, next time I'm in Florida I'm going to be watching my step very carefully.

[Biblebelter]

It will mess up the Geiger counters on all those mystery drones.

[LeonardFMason]

Psssst.

Don’t tell anyone. The SUN is radioactive.

[wildcard_redneck]

This is a non-issue. It might surprise people but we’re naturally bombarded by radiation all the time from natural sources and there are acceptable levels.

Don’t fall for watermelon marxist (green on the outside, red on the inside) propaganda. The amount of radiation from these roads will me negligible.

[Red Badger]

People will wrap their cars in aluminum foil...............

[iontheball]

Sort of puts to bed the New Jersey false flag story of the government’s concern over and drone search for nuclear radiation.

[Eli Kopter]

I believe that all concrete is slightly radioactive.

[Vaduz]

In the 60’s or 70’s the Mafia sold a bunch of radioactive material for road construction believe in NJ when the state found out it had to be removed wonder how this round will play out.

Did they make it to the EPA now ?.

[Red Badger]

EPA says it’s okay. Safe and Effective................

[Eli Kopter]

It is called NORM. “Naturally Occuring Radiation Material. There have been many lawsuits brought against Oil Companies and Contractors, which have all been defeated (Mostly in Louisiana).

[SuperLuminal]

Lead-lined jock straps may be needed...

[Red Badger]

Not for Democrats.................

[HartleyMBaldwin]

The potassium in anyone’s bloodstream is very slightly radioactive.

[Vaduz]

Masks again ?.

[Red Badger]

[Vaduz]

Can’t be any worse and free candy

[Organic Panic]

I am looking directly above my reading chair. There is a fire detector smoke detector. My watch has radio rice luminescent coatings. The wind is blowing and I’m sure some of the dust is radioactive and contains asbestos.

Life is a terminal illness.

[mware]

The Radium Girls comes to mind.

[left that other site]

let’s not forget that “Collectable” Radioactive Red Fiestaware!

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=radioactive%20fiestaware&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-34002-13078-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=102&keyword=radioactive%20fiestaware&crlp=_&MT_ID=&geo_id=&rlsatarget=kwd-77240868736589:loc-190&adpos=&device=c&mktype=&loc=103052&poi=&abcId=&cmpgn=395409475&sitelnk=&adgroupid=1235851276363882&network=o&matchtype=e&msclkid=27f4a0072e2e170b8796c76809e5a6b0

[Retain Mike]

To give a perspective around 99.284% of natural uranium 's mass is uranium-238, which has a half-life of 4.468 billion years. The half-life of Phosphogypsum is 1,600 years.

So, the issue is how much of this they spread is actually Phosphogypsum. A solid block of it could be a real problem. But of course, we should trust the government, because they are the experts.

[sauropod]

.