The approach of Hurricane Milton is rekindling worries that Florida’s piles of waste from the fertilizer industry could be breached by the incoming storm.
Florida has more than two dozen facilities for storing phosphorus waste, several of which are in the Tampa region and have sparked conflict with environmental groups. So far, the so-called gypsum stacks have dodged damage from hurricanes, including most recently Helene.
“Most of the 24 phosphogypsum stacks in Florida are in central Florida, smack dab in the cone of uncertainty at the moment. That’s very concerning,” said Justin Tramble, executive director of Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, an environmental group.
The stacks, which can be 500 feet tall and are typically covered with ponds of wastewater, contain mildly radioactive chemicals. They’re regulated by EPA as well as state environmental agencies, through provisions first written in the 1980s.
