The No Radioactive Roads Act of 2024 would direct the Environmental Protection Agency to establish strict new rules for any potential use of phosphogypsum—a byproduct of phosphate fertilizer production containing radioactive uranium and radium—in construction or other applications. Since 1992, the EPA has banned phosphogypsum in road construction due to documented health risks including cancer and genetic damage from radioactive exposure to workers and nearby residents, as well as potential groundwater contamination. This bill would require the EPA to finalize regulations within two years that set a maximum cancer risk threshold of 9.1 in 100,000 for any new phosphogypsum use, mandate detailed risk assessments and water contamination monitoring plans for each proposed application, and require case-by-case approval with public disclosure of all requests and test results. The legislation essentially codifies the existing prohibition by establishing stringent requirements that any alternative use of phosphogypsum would need to meet the same protective health standards as the current ban.
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