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| The Alamo, an enduring symbol of Texas’ Independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836. |
In the home of the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas another group of people are hoping for a different sort of independence: from the unwelcome problems associated with coal tar pavement sealers.
In December of last year, Councilman Ron Nirenberg announced he was investigating a ban.
“It is still being used in San Antonio, and we have a significant stormwater runoff quality issue,” said Nirenberg.
“The elimination of coal tar sealants in other communities has led to a dramatic improvement to stormwater runoff quality,” Nirenberg told local TV station KSAT. The Councilman is awaiting the results of a report exploring the threats to the San Antonio water supply before moving forward.
In a post just last year, this site exposed the potential effects of coal tar sealer runoff on local water supplies. Uncured coal tar sealers has a toxic ingredient, called quinoline, that easily mixes with water. The Canadian government said that this chemical “may cause a threat to human life or health.” And if you ask an honest sealcoat contractor, they will tell you that rain falling on uncured sealants are a common part of the business.
That sounds like something to desire independence from doesn’t it?
Below is a charge from the Alamo Group of the Sierra Club asking their members to get involved to ban coal tar sealers in San Antonio.
The Alamo Group encourages you to contact your City Council representative and the San Antonio Housing Authority about prohibiting usage of coal tar-based sealants on pavement. Here is a telephone script for contacting council. Your councilmember’s contact info is here and here. Here is a suggested letter to the San Antonio Housing Authority.