The federal Environmental Protection Agency Friday approved a test project using a toxic byproduct of phosphate mining for road beds.

Federal regulators are seeking comment on their plan to approve the test road bed project in Polk County through Nov. 8.

There are concerns Hurricane Milton could impact phosphogypsum plants in the state. A leak in 2021 resulted in the release of around 215 million gallons of polluted water into Tampa Bay.

A federal judge has ruled in favor of several environmental groups that sued the Piney Point phosphate plant. Hundreds of millions of gallons of polluted water flowed into Tampa Bay following a leak there in 2021.

After completing laboratory research on the use of phosphogypsum as a road base, a Florida-based mining company is seeking approval from the EPA to conduct a pilot project.

They filed the federal lawsuit after around 215 million gallons of wastewater was discharged into Tampa Bay in 2021. It said the discharges caused harmful algae blooms and fish kills.

The leak happened after an electrical circuit breaker tripped on a facility being used to pump polluted water deep under the drinking water aquifer.

The tear in a gypstack is the latest in a series of environmental mishaps at the New Wales phosphate plant, near Mulberry.

Several environmental groups say they plan to sue the federal government for failing to regulate waste produced by phosphate mining. The move comes after they had asked the feds to toughen industry standards.

One of Florida's biggest phosphate mines is reporting a possible tear in the lining that keeps waste from polluting the environment. But officials say the effects are still unknown.

Critics say placing the phosphate waste in roadways could put human and environmental health at risk.

A milestone was reached Thursday, as one of the wastewater ponds atop the Piney Point phosphate plant was closed. This means the troubled plant is one step closer to being closed - forever.