Phosphate Waste Comments Needed

The Environmental Protection Agency recently denied a petition conservation groups filed to improve federal oversight of the radioactive waste produced by phosphogypsum facilities, including wastewater from phosphoric acid production.

Phosphogypsum and process wastewater from phosphogypsum facilities are currently excluded from certain federal hazardous waste regulations. Under this weak regulatory system, there have been numerous toxic waste spills into the environment. 

Public comments on EPA’s denial must be received on or before May 26, 2026. 
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/24/2026-08097/response-to-petition-to-change-regulation-of-phosphogypsum-under-rcra
Then click on Public Comments (Left side of the webpage) 
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-2026-0232

Here are our statements:
 
“This casual denial of our petition exposes the EPA’s habit of prioritizing industry profits over protecting the public from this dangerous, toxic waste,” said Ragan Whitlock, a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. "It’s disturbing that the agency refuses to change course even after a pollution disaster like the massive toxic discharges from Piney Point into Tampa Bay, which harmed wildlife and water quality. Once again, the EPA has ditched its mission to protect the environment in favor of cutting costs for Fortune 500 fertilizer companies, even if it means ignoring unchecked toxic risks to the American public and our land, water, and wildlife."
 
“Phosphate companies have had decades to figure out a way to dispose of their radioactive wastes in a way that doesn’t put the public and environment at risk of spills, and they have yet to do so,” said Glenn Compton, chairman of ManaSota-88. “Every possible effort to minimize radiation exposure to the public should be made. EPA is mandated to protect the health of the environment and the people of this nation. However, in this case, EPA is serving the phosphate industry and needlessly risking the health and well-being of the public and the environment.”
 
"From toxic algae blooms to fish kills, phosphorus fertilizer pollution has a real impact on communities throughout the United States," said Matt Rota, senior policy director for Healthy Gulf. "It is deeply disconcerting that the EPA has denied our request to properly regulate fertilizer waste pollution. We intend to ensure EPA hears community voices regarding the continued risk of damage to public and wildlife health from toxic fertilizer-processing waste."
 
Background: 
Phosphogypsum is the radioactive waste from processing phosphate ore into phosphoric acid, which is predominantly used in fertilizer. Radium-226, found in phosphogypsum, has a 1,600-year radioactive decay half-life. In addition to high concentrations of radioactive materials, phosphogypsum and process wastewater can also contain carcinogens and toxic heavy metals such as antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, fluoride, lead, mercury, nickel, silver, sulfur, thallium, and zinc.
 
For every ton of phosphoric acid produced, the fertilizer industry creates five tons of radioactive phosphogypsum waste, which is stored in mountainous stacks hundreds of acres wide and hundreds of feet tall. More than 1 billion tons of radioactive waste have already been stored in 25 stacks scattered throughout Florida. The stacks are perched above the Floridan aquifer, which supplies drinking water to 10 million people and is prone to sinkholes.
 
Phosphogypsum stacks are also found in Arkansas, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. The EPA recently approved the use of this radioactive waste in roads.
 
The regulatory petition was filed by Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, Bayou City Waterkeeper, Center for Biological Diversity, The Cherokee Concerned Citizens, Healthy Gulf, ManaSota-88, Our Santa Fe River, People for Protecting Peace River, RISE St. James, Sierra Club’s Florida and Delta chapters, Waterkeeper Alliance, and Waterkeepers Florida, which includes all 14 of Florida’s waterkeeper groups.
 
Learn more about phosphogypsum and efforts to protect public health and the environment from its harms.

Glenn Compton is the Chairman of ManaSota 88, a non-profit organization that has spent over 30 years fighting to protect the environment of Manatee and Sarasota counties.