Congressman Maxwell Frost Introduces Bill to Prevent Radioactive Materials from Being Used to Build Roads – the “No Radioactive Roads Act”
Frost Bill Would Prevent Cancer-Causing Fertilizer Byproduct from Being Used in Road Construction, Has Support from Local Leaders
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL) and Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) introduced the No Radioactive Roads Act legislation to make sure the Trump Administration cannot once again allow for deadly, cancer-causing radioactive material, phosphogypsum (PG), to be used in road construction. Florida is the world's largest PG producing area with 1 billion tons of PG stored in stacks, mainly in the Central Florida region.
In 2021, a tear at a PG stack facility allowed for millions of gallons of untreated wastewater to be released into Tampa Bay, devastating the clean waters of the bay and causing a red tide outbreak, killing millions of fish. In 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law to allow the cancer-causing material to be used in road construction.
Frost’s bill has the support of a half-dozen Central Florida leaders including State Senator Geraldine F. Thompson, State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith, State Representative Anna V. Eskamani, State Representative Rita Harris, State Representative Johanna López, Orange County Commissioner Kelly Semrad.
“Leaders like Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis care more about making sure that their corporate donors are happy than they do about making sure your communities aren’t built with cancer-causing materials. It’s disgusting,” said Congressman Maxwell Frost. “PG can and has seeped into our water, into our soil, and into our air – endangering our people, our environment, and our businesses. We need to take action to make sure that no future administration can allow this radioactive and cancer-causing substance to be used to build our roads without adhering to very high safety standards.”
“The health and safety of our communities must always come first. Allowing radioactive materials like phosphogypsum to be used in road construction is a direct threat to our families, our environment, and our future. The No Radioactive Roads Act is a critical step to ensure that no community is subjected to the long-term dangers of toxic exposure. I am proud to join Congressman Frost in championing this legislation which prioritizes the well-being of every Floridian,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
The No Radioactive Roads Act has been endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters, Center for Biological Diversity, Food & Water Watch, Surfrider Foundation, and the Save Split Oak Campaign.
“Representative Frost is putting public health first by introducing important legislation to set stricter limits on the use of toxic phosphogypsum (PG) in roads after the previous Trump administration greenlit its use following a 30+ year EPA ban. PG is a radioactive, cancer-causing substance that is being misguidedly considered for use in road construction that can harm workers, drivers and nearby communities. Representative Frost’s legislation would provide transparency and better protect our health by requiring regular and publicly available monitoring data for air and water quality, specific approvals of each use of PG in roads, and limiting the acceptable lifetime cancer risk from exposure to PG. We greatly appreciate Rep. Frost’s commitment to safeguarding clean air, clean water, and environmental justice and look forward to continuing to work together to protect the health of our families and communities,” said the League of Conservation Voters’ Healthy Communities Program Director, Madeleine Foote.
“Common sense and decades of EPA warnings make it clear that using radioactive phosphogypsum in our roads is a dangerously bad idea,” said J.W. Glass, EPA policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Rep. Frost’s bill will make sure that toxic fertilizer waste can’t be approved for new uses without first ensuring it’s managed to protect our water, workers and wildlife from radiation and other pollutants. I hope this spurs the EPA to ditch the industry’s risky proposal to dump its waste in our roads and focus instead on creating standards that better protect our communities and environment from this harmful pollution.”
“Clean water and healthy watersheds are vital to our thriving coastal communities, environments, and economies. Using radioactive waste in roads poses an unacceptable threat to public and environmental health that would extend for generations. The 'No Radioactive Roads Act' establishes important safeguards for protecting human health, requiring water quality monitoring, and ensuring transparency,” said Katie Bauman, Florida Policy Manager, Surfrider Foundation.
“On behalf of the Save Split Oak Forest campaign, we strongly support Congressman Frost’s No Radioactive Roads Act. This legislation is crucial for safeguarding Florida's ecosystems from the dangers of radioactive road runoff, which can harm our waterways, soil, and wildlife. Protecting conservation lands like Split Oak Forest is essential for preserving biodiversity and ensuring smart, sustainable growth. We urge all members of Congress to back this act to prevent harmful pollution and promote a future where Florida’s natural environment and communities can thrive together,” said Lee Perry, Lead Volunteer of the Save Split Oak Campaign.
“We sincerely thank Representative Frost for championing the No Radioactive Roads Act, which takes decisive action to safeguard our communities from the significant risks posed by phosphogypsum. Florida has experienced firsthand the devastating consequences of mismanaging this hazardous material, including the Piney Point disaster, where over 200 million gallons of contaminated wastewater spilled into Tampa Bay. Using phosphogypsum in road construction would endanger workers, drivers, drinking water supplies, and fragile ecosystems, not just in Florida but across the country. This legislation is a crucial step toward protecting public health and preserving the safety of our water resources. We are committed to working with Congress and communities to ensure this vital bill becomes law and helps prevent future disasters,” said Jim Walsh, Policy Director, Food & Water Watch.
Additional Background:
For over 30 years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has prohibited the use of phosphogypsum (PG) for road construction because this fertilizer waste product emits deadly, cancer-causing radon gas and contains toxic heavy metals like arsenic, lead, mercury, and sulfur.
These toxins can become airborne or seep into the soil and groundwater. One of these elements, radium-226, has a 1,600-year half-life and will poison generations of people working on, living near, or traveling over any future radioactive roads.
Scientific research makes clear that phosphogypsum (PG) is not safe to use as a road building material, but just months before leaving office, the Trump Administration green-lit PG to be used in road construction.
The Biden-Harris Administration quickly reversed the Trump Administration’s decision to allow PG in road construction but this means that PG’s threat to people’s health and safety can reemerge with newly elected President Trump.
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