Reduce. Reuse. Recycle!
In Florida, recycling phosphogypsum, or “PG,” stored in gypstacks could create a new, domestic supply of essential materials to help rebuild our infrastructure.
It’s been over a year since Florida’s lawmakers approved HB 1191 to explore the potential for PG use as an aggregate material.
Dr. Tim Townsend, a professor of environmental engineering at the University of Florida, recently commented on the ongoing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review of a pilot project using PG as a road base.
“I think a natural thing to explore is, can that material be recycled?” said Townsend. “But with all these materials, they need to be recycled only if it can be done in a safe way and protective of human health and the environment.”
The pilot study would involve constructing a small strip of demonstration road, not accessible to the public, where road built with a mix of PG and normal aggregate materials would be tested under real-world conditions.
The pilot project, which requires EPA approval, is expected to receive a proposed decision by the end of this year. Learn more about the status of the PG pilot project by clicking here: U.S. EPA Review of PG Pilot Project Ongoing
