© 2026 WGCU News
News for Southwest Florida
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Biden Admin Reverses Trump Approval of Phosphogypsum in Road Construction

WGCU | By Valerie Vande Panne
Published July 9, 2021 at 9:44 AM EDT
A phosphogypsum stack located in Fort Meade, Florida.
By photographer, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2061028
A phosphogypsum stack located in Fort Meade, Florida.

The Biden administration has announced it is withdrawing approval given by the Trump administration to use phosphogypsum in road and highway construction, primarily in Florida.

Florida already has one billion tons of radioactive phosphogypsum in 25 stacks, including at Piney Point in Manatee County. More than 200 million gallons of wastewater from the Piney Point phosphogypsum stack was recently discharged into Tampa Bay where it is now likely feeding a red tide bloom.
Tags
EnvironmentPiney Pointphosphate miningEPAWGCU News
Valerie Vande Panne
Vvandepanne@wgcu.org
See stories by Valerie Vande Panne
Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • This image provided by Lee County Sheriff's Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission staffers net an injured mother manatee and her calf in the Orange River near Fort Myers, Fla., on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026
    Environment
    Injured mother manatee, calf rescued by Lee County Sheriff's Office, taken to SeaWorld
    The Associated Press
    Officials in Florida say an injured mother manatee and her calf have been rescued from a river and taken to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation. The Lee County Sheriff's Office shared video on social media showing Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission staffers netting the pair on Wednesday. Drone video shows the rescue boat circling around the manatees to corral them in what looks like a fishing net before the crew hauls the sea cows aboard. Officials didn't have details about how the mother manatee was injured or their current conditions. The mother and calf are among at least six manatees rescued in the county since Feb. 19 because of cold stress, watercraft injuries and malnutrition.
  • Views of the developments along El Conquistador Parkway on Sarasota Bay called Aqua and Cirrus. Manatee and Sarasota counties have seen rapid development in the last decade.
    Government & Politics
    Window closing to roll back Florida SB 180 home rule limits
    Alice Herman/Suncoast Searchlight
    The Florida Legislature has just days in the current session to kill controversial provisions in a state law limiting local jurisdictions from regulating growth. Senate Bill 180, which passed with nearly unanimous approval last year, limits cities and counties from advancing any measures deemed more “burdensome or restrictive” on development in the wake of major storms. The law spurred backlash from local governments that had spent months — in some cases years — crafting planning policies, only to see them struck down by the state.
  • Human Interest
    Her dream of pro golfer status achieved, Gianna Clemente starts on the tour March 5
    Sheldon Zoldan/Special to WGCU
    Gianna Clemente’s dream has arrived. Even though she is a month away from her 18th birthday and three months away from graduating high school, she will reach her goal of becoming a pro golfer March 5 when she tees off in the Atlantic Beach Classic on Florida’s east coast.