A radioactive waste stack could put more than 11,000 people at risk of cancer and other ailments. The site is set to expand its waste pile and continue operations for 16 years, Inside Climate News reported.
What happened?
In Progress Village, a historically Black community southeast of Tampa, Florida, the toxic waste stack — near a recreation center and middle school — has long caused concern.
Mosaic's Riverview site includes two phosphogypsum stacks that hold waste left over from fertilizer production. That material contains radium, which decays into radon gas; both are radioactive and can cause cancer.
The company, the nation's largest phosphate manufacturer, wants to enlarge the stack through a $260 million project. The proposal is being pushed through a federal review process under an executive order on critical minerals by President Donald Trump, per ICN.
Residents say the location makes the proposal alarming. Progress Village was developed in the late 1950s as low-cost housing for Black residents displaced by the construction of Interstate 75.
The fight over the stack has been going on for decades. Hillsborough County commissioners approved it in 1984 despite local opposition. This action is a part of a broader pattern of hazardous sites placed near Black and other historically underserved communities across the country.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
Why is this concerning?
The dispute centers on public health and environmental justice in an area next to homes, schools, and community spaces.
A fenceline can't always contain hazardous waste, and weather events such as hurricanes and heavy wind can make that even more apparent.
Communities of color, especially Black communities, often don't have the same influence and resources that other neighborhoods do. This can lead to hazardous industrial sites, like "Cancer Alley," in those areas and their sticking around for generations.
What's being done?
Residents have continued to oppose the stack and warn about the dangers of expanding it.
At the same time, the project is moving ahead through the expedited federal process.
"If they tried that anywhere else, it would be all on the news," lifelong Progress Village resident Sean Bell Sr., 53, said, calling it environmental racism.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
