Florida lawmakers want to use cancer-causing radioactive material to pave roads

[Jason]

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"Phosphogypsum contains appreciable quantities of uranium and its decay products, such as radium-226," according to the EPA. And because the fertilizer production process concentrates waste material, "phosphogypsum is more radioactive than the original phosphate rock," the agency notes.

 

"The radium is of particular concern because it decays to form radon, a cancer-causing, radioactive gas," the EPA adds.

 

An analysis commissioned by the Fertilizer Institute, a group that represents the fertilizer industry, disagrees, saying that using phosphogypsum in road construction won't produce radioactive doses that are above the EPA's acceptable risks. Such work, it stated, "can be done safely and results in doses that are a small fraction of those arising from natural background radiation."

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The EPA states that "phosphogypsum remains prohibited from use in road construction," as it has been almost continuously for more than 30 years.

 

Under former President Donald Trump, the EPA briefly rescinded that policy starting in October 2020. But it reinstated the rule in June 2021.

 

The Florida legislation doesn't address the federal prohibition outright, saying that phosphogypsum can be used as an aggregate material "in accordance with the conditions of the United States Environmental Protection Agency approval for the use." Its supporting documents also note that the EPA allows some uses for research purposes — and it asserts that phosphogypsum is not technically a "solid waste."

Florida lawmakers want to use radioactive material to pave roads

WWW.NPR.ORG

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Phosphogypsum, a byproduct in the fertilizer industry, contains uranium and radium — which as the EPA notes, forms radon, "a cancer-causing, radioactive gas."

 

[Jason]

I'll add "the roads are literally radioactive" to my list of reasons to never set foot in Florida again.

[ThreePi]

What's wrong with radium? They used that to illuminate clock faces and the women who painted them on turned out just fine.

[Jason]

Just now, ThreePi said:

What's wrong with radium? They used that to illuminate clock faces and the women who painted them on turned out just fine.

 

Can't wait for Floridamen and Floridawomen to start licking the radium roads to own the libs.

[Mr.Vic20]

A deregulated state will shine, especially at night! 

[MarSolo]

59 minutes ago, ThreePi said:

What's wrong with radium? They used that to illuminate clock faces and the women who painted them on turned out just fine.

You could say they had GLOWING complexion.

 

Do we have a Florida thread? Because I think we need an Official Shit-Hole State Thread.

[skillzdadirecta]

45 minutes ago, MarSolo said:

You could say they had GLOWING complexion.

 

Do we have a Florida thread? Because I think we need an Official Shit-Hole State Thread.

I say we call it. "Florida... America's Dick".

[Kamusha]

No, there should not be a Florida mega thread. Mega threads are best for collecting smaller stories that do not constitute their own threads - Florida man stories are a good example of this. I'm fine with keeping all of the DeSantis vs Disney news in its own contained thread. There are just so many noteworthy stories coming from Florida and a megathread would minimize the importance of the individual stories themselves.

 

Also a Florida megathread would quickly devolve into everyone ganging up and feeling superior over Florida which is really not helpful right now for any one who still has to live here.