Dust is a reflection of the materials from which it originates. This is true for dust from our mining operations which, like the phosphate rock we mine, may contain low levels of radiation. The dust generated during the removal of rock and soil above the phosphate deposits – probably the dustiest part of mining – would be comparable to the dust generated in agricultural tilling or digging in your yard.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) found while preparing the 2014 Environmental Impact Statement for phosphate mining in Central Florida that dust at mining sites remains onsite due to the size of dust particles and wind speeds routinely experienced.