Last night, Shorewood, Minnesota delayed making a final vote on a coal tar sealant ban in order to tighten up the language of the ordinance. Shorewood, Minnesota includes much of Christmas Lake, interestingly named after one of the original surveyors of Minneapolis. The community, with a population over 7,000, is well known for its year-round outdoor activities and access to nature. For the officials of Shorewood, check out my article on A Worry-Free Guide to Implementing a Coal Tar Sealant Ban for some thoughts about implementing a ban.
If passed, Shorewood would become the 27th jurisdiction in Minnesota to pass a ban of coal tar sealants. The first was White Bear Lake in the spring of 2010. Also on deck is the nearby community of Woodland that is reported to be one of the top 50 wealthiest communities in the United States, but with a population of about 700. Their first reading of a ban was yesterday too.
The proliferation of these kind of local actions is a tribute to the appropriate coupling of science, politics, economics and community values within the greater Minnesota community. I look forward to more communities across Minnesota considering the impact of coal tar sealant pollution is to their communities.
