Environmental groups challenge Mosaic in Florida over phosphogypsum road plan and underground wastewater well concept

An environmental organization has initiated a federal appeals court challenge against a decision permitting the use of a radioactive byproduct from the phosphate industry in a road construction project in Florida. On Wednesday last week, the Center for Biological Diversity sought the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ review concerning a recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval that authorized Mosaic Fertilizer to proceed with a pilot road project utilizing phosphogypsum.

Phosphogypsum, a waste product generated from phosphate mining, is conventionally stored in large stacks due to its radioactive properties. Mosaic Fertilizer, a subsidiary of The Mosaic Company, aims to incorporate this material into the road base of four test road sections at its New Wales facility in Polk County. The EPA’s decision, issued in December, emphasizes that this approval is limited strictly to the pilot project and does not extend to broader applications.

Environmental advocates, however, have raised concerns about the potential health risks and environmental impacts associated with using phosphogypsum in road construction. They argue that such use could expose road workers and jeopardize water quality. The Center for Biological Diversity has been vocal in its opposition, asserting that this pilot project could lead to the normalization of phosphogypsum in road construction nationwide.

Another flow of environmental concerns was sparked by the announcement of Mosaic’s plans to launch an underground wastewater well at their Plant City facility in Florida to inject treated phosphate gypsum wastewater deep below the surface. This plan, intended to test subsurface suitability for wastewater containment. Critics, like Glenn Compton from ManaSota-88, argue that the well could leak, permanently polluting groundwater, and advocate for more costly but safer alternatives like reverse osmosis. The proposal follows a significant leak at Piney Point in 2021, which led to severe environmental damage. An open house meeting is scheduled to discuss the project further with the public and officials.

Sources: FOX 13 News, Tampa Bay Times