Photo credit: Sierra Club

On May 1, Friends of the Everglades joined Sierra Club and more than 30 other organizations in sending a letter to Governor DeSantis requesting that he veto HB 1191 – Use of Phosphogypsum.

Phosphogypsum is the radioactive waste from processing phosphate into phosphoric acid for fertilizer. This bill would permit the use of phosphogypsum in Florida road construction.

As the letter states, “While HB 1191 would require the Florida Department of Transportation to complete a study on the feasibility of phosphogypsum for road construction, the unreasonably short study period ending on April 1, 2024, cannot even begin to thoroughly review the health and safety consequences. To even begin the study would be a tremendous waste of Florida taxpayer dollars; EPA has already extensively studied the use of phosphogypsum in roads and concluded it is not safe.”

To protect the health and safety of Florida residents, and to preserve water and air quality across the state, we respectfully asked that DeSantis VETO HB 1191.