Florida’s coastal waters and marine life are highly vulnerable to excess fertilizer, sewage and nutrient pollution, and yet Florida representatives want to allow the use of phosphogypsum, radioactive fertilizer waste, in road construction across the state. This is the same toxic waste product that precipitated a water quality crisis in Tampa Bay in 2021, when 400 million gallons of wastewater from phosphogypsum stacks were discharged into the bay from the Piney Point fertilizer plant. More than a year’s worth of nutrients was dumped into Tampa Bay in less than 10 days, exacerbating what would become the worst red tide event in 50 years and killing more than 1,600 tons of marine life.
Phosphogypsum puts clean water - the primary driver of the state’s $101.9 billion tourism economy - at risk of collapse.
Floridians deserve clean water to swim, surf and play in. At a time when we need to urgently address water pollution at the source, the state should not allow radioactive materials in road construction. The toxic runoff and its public health and environmental implications will be disastrous for clean water in Florida and all who depend on it. Take action today and ask Governor DeSantis to veto this bad bill for water quality.