U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on Oct 14 approved a request from The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) to allow phosphogypsum to be used in government road construction projects. While the approval of TFI’s request does not mean that phosphogypsum will become widespread in roads, it allows state and local governments to investigate the opportunity to use phosphogypsum in appropriate road construction projects. Due to transportation costs, the product is most likely to be used within 200 miles of the gypsum stack, according to TFI.
Phosphogypsum is a byproduct material of phosphate fertilizer production. It is regulated for the presence of radium-226, a naturally occurring radioactive substance that produces radon gas, a hazardous air pollutant.