Frost and Cherfilus-McCormick Reintroduce Bill to Prevent Radioactive Materials from Being Used to Build Roads – the “No Radioactive Roads Act”
Frost's Bill Would Prevent Cancer-Causing Fertilizer Byproduct from Being Used in Road Construction
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL) and Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) reintroduced the No Radioactive Roads Act, legislation to ensure the current Trump Administration or any future administration cannot 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.
The Biden-Harris Administration quickly reversed the first Trump Administration’s unscientific decision to allow PG in road construction in 2021. However, with Trump’s return to office, PG’s threat to people’s health is once again imminent.
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. Despite the environmental fallout, in 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law to allow the cancer-causing material to be used in road construction. Most recently, ahead of the Trump Administration taking office, the Environmental Protection Agency authorized Mosaic’s pilot road project to use 1,200 tons of the hazardous material in Polk County, Florida.
Frost and Cherfilus-McCormick first introduced the bill in 2024.
“As Florida allows for PG to be used in our roads, endangering our workers, drivers, and entire communities, we need immediate federal action that puts public health over corporate profits,” said Congressman Maxwell Frost. “The science is abundantly clear—PG is a deadly, cancer-causing substance that harms our environment and puts lives at risk, and no administration should be able to permit its use without the highest safety standards. It’s unacceptable that the fertilizer industry is looking to offload toxic waste into our roads in order to boost their profits while leaders like DeSantis and Donald Trump enable it. The No Radioactive Roads Act puts our people, our planet, and our future over the profits of corporate polluters.”
“Protecting the health and safety of our communities must be our top priority. Using radioactive materials like phosphogypsum in road construction endangers our families, harms our environment, and puts our future at risk,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. “The No Radioactive Roads Act is a crucial step in preventing communities from facing the long-term dangers of toxic exposure. I am proud to partner with Congressman Maxwell Frost on this legislation to protect the well-being of every Floridian.”
“The EPA’s decision to weaken standards for phosphogypsum is both reckless and unfounded. We cannot allow the health and safety of our communities to be sacrificed for the financial interests of the fertilizer industry, which seeks to profit from incorporating this radioactive byproduct into our roads. The science is clear: exposure to phosphogypsum is directly linked to significantly increased cancer risk. We will not tolerate policies that endanger our residents and workers,” said Orange County Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad. “In Orange County, I am also introducing an accompanying resolution to prohibit the use of phosphogypsum in local roadway projects. Our stance is firm, and our message is clear: I fully support Congressman Frost’s bill on behalf of the people of our district, the state of Florida, and communities across the country.”
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’s No Radioactive Roads Act will help protect the health and safety of communities as the Trump administration continues to roll back protections from toxic pollutants. Constructing roads with radioactive, cancer-causing phosphogypsum can harm workers, drivers, and nearby families who are already most impacted by environmental injustice and the climate crisis. We will continue to fight alongside our climate champions in Congress like Representative Frost to pass legislation to protect the health of our communities, our air and water, and our future generations,” said Madeleine Foote, Healthy Communities Program Director for League of Conservation Voters.
“The EPA made it clear decades ago that radioactive phosphogypsum has no place in our roads,” said J.W. Glass, EPA policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “While Rep. Frost shouldn’t have to introduce legislation just to get the EPA to follow its own rules, this bill provides clear direction the agency needs to keep our water, workers and wildlife safe from radiation and other pollutants tied to this toxic waste.”
“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.
"Clean water and resilient watersheds are the foundation of healthy coastal communities and strong economies. The use of radioactive waste in roads presents a serious risk that puts public health and the environment in jeopardy for generations to come. The 'No Radioactive Roads Act' introduces common-sense safeguards for protecting human health, requiring water quality monitoring, and ensuring transparency," said Katie Bauman, Florida Policy Manager for 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.
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 first 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 under the new Trump Administration.
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