Coal tar pavement sealant is a carcinogen that contaminates our soil and waterways. And even though coating your driveway with it can make your family sick, only two states have banned it. Though Texas is not one of those states, Austin was the first city in the U.S. to ban it after officials found high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – which are toxic to most living things – in waterways near newly coated parking lots.
Later the US Geological Society found dangerous levels in nearby homes. While schools are abandoning coal tar use and even major home improvement chains have quit selling it, the coal tar sealant industry has been working against bans in several states.
In the meantime, Texas Democratic Representative Lloyd Doggett is asking Congress to act, and there’s no excuse not to ban this toxic sealant, because a safer alternative exists. Tell Congress to ban use of coal tar pavement sealant in all states!
We, the undersigned, believe the evidence of coal tar sealant toxicity warrants a country-wide ban of this product.
The evidence against using the coal tar sealant has mounted and appears to be rock-solid, with independent studies by major universities backing the findings of the Geological Society and other studies.
According to the USGS, these sealants raise lifetime cancer risks and account for about half of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the environment – twice the amount created by vehicle-related sources.
Because of the tremendous health threat, many cities and states would have already banned its use if the industry were not fighting so hard to interfere with these efforts. Not only is the coal tar sealant industry looking out for its own interests, but some of these are partnered with the steel industry which produces the coal tar by product in the first place. But Congress should not allow business profits to take precedence over such a dangerous health threat to the environment and most living things.
We request that Congress ban the use and sale of coal tar sealants in all states.
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