While the plant was in operation, phosphate slag was transported off-site and used as aggregate in road bedding, road and driveway paving, and in concrete structures. The extent of the distribution could not be determined. Residents in the area expressed concern about possible adverse health effects resulting from exposure to radium and heavy metals leaching from phosphate slag that was used in nearby roads and buildings. Besides radium, other contaminants of concern to residents were arsenic, asbestos, uranium, radon, and ionizing radiation. There is elevated background radiation from natural radium in phosphate slag and aggregate, but exposures are not expected to result in any adverse health outcomes.
Phosphate slag contains concentrations of metals above background levels.
However, based on current epidemiological and medical information the levels are not likely to represent a public health hazard. Combined exposures from roads and driveways are not a health threat. The person requested that the agency investigate health problems that might be associated with exposure to slag materials used in residential areas of Tarpon Springs. The Stauffer plant was added to the EPA Superfund list in 1994 because of pollution on the site. Superfund is a federal program for finding and cleaning up hazardous waste sites in this country.