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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIn Polk County, a quiet stretch of land near Mulberry has become the center of a heated debate. The\u00a0Mosaic Company<\/a>, one of the world\u2019s largest producers of phosphate fertilizer, is testing a road built with phosphogypsum, a byproduct of phosphate mining.\u00a0Phosphogypsum<\/a>\u00a0contains radium, a radioactive element that can decay into radon gas, which is linked to lung cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pilot project, located at Mosaic\u2019s New Wales facility, uses about 1,200 tons of phosphogypsum beneath a 3,200-foot asphalt road<\/a>. Federal regulators approved the project in late 2024, describing it as a limited experiment designed to measure safety under real-world conditions. State officials echoed that view, saying the asphalt covering and monitoring requirements make the risks minimal. Mosaic has spent millions lobbying both Florida lawmakers and Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Federal Approval & Local Concerns: Environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity<\/a>, have challenged the decision in federal court. They argue that allowing phosphogypsum in infrastructure could open the door to widespread use, effectively turning waste disposal into development. \u201cOnce you normalize radioactive waste in roads, it\u2019s only a matter of time before it spreads into neighborhoods,\u201d one advocate warned in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Florida Roads Now to Florida Neighborhoods Next: That possibility raises new questions: What happens if homes are built near or on land where phosphogypsum has been used? Will buyers be told about the material\u2019s presence? And how much oversight will regulators provide once private developers take over? While Mosaic says this land is safe, it is also at the same time lobbying Tallahassee to have no responsibility<\/a> for what they have mined or the land condition after Mosaic has left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Science vs. Skepticism:
<\/strong>The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has long\u00a0restricted the use of phosphogypsum in construction<\/a>. A 1992 rule banned its use in roads due to health concerns. But in this case, the EPA granted Mosaic a waiver, stressing that the approval applied only to the pilot project and not to broader use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the test road itself is tightly controlled, attention is shifting to the land around it. Mosaic owns large tracts near the New Wales facility, and some of that property is being positioned for future Florida family subdivisions<\/a>. Real estate filings and county planning documents show parcels being readied for sale to builders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Supporters of the project point to research suggesting that\u00a0phosphogypsum, when sealed under thick asphalt, poses little risk<\/a>. Mosaic insists the project is safe, noting that the asphalt layer prevents radon gas from escaping and that radiation levels are being monitored. Company officials argue that using phosphogypsum in roads could reduce the need for massive waste stacks, which tower across central Florida and pose their own environmental hazards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n