Positive Progress Reported at 2nd Great Lakes Coal Tar Sealant Reduction Webinar

Recently the State of Minnesota hosted the second of three webinars which reviewed sealant studies in Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan and efforts made in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan to reduce sealant use.  Here are some of the notable highlights:

  • consistent findings of the PAH levels and watershed contributions from coal tar sealants by independent researchers 
  • 116 applicators in 6 states have voluntarily pledged not to use coal tar sealcoat in the future
  • the three states represented have approached this problem from different perspectives, but are all making progress in reducing the use of coal tar sealants
  • 100 to 1 ratio of annual cost of infrastructure risk from coal tar sealers to their private profits; about a 10 to 1 ratio for gross sales

This is a rich seminar which I haven’t yet fully mined, but is now available for reviewing, here.  I hope to do more stories from it in the future.

Next week is the third Great Lakes Sealant Reduction Webinar.  Seminar details are below and registration can be made at this link .

Event Information: Great Lakes Coal Tar Sealcoat/PAH Reduction Project Webinar 3: Outreach at the local level
  Registration is required to join this event. If you have not registered, please do so now.
English : Chicago Time
Event status: Not started (Register)
Date and time: Thursday, December 12, 2013 9:30 am
Central Standard Time (Chicago, GMT-06:00)
Change time zone
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Description:
DRAFT Agenda
1. Intro (10:30 Eastern)
2. Minnesota – GreenStep Cities, school districts, community events (10:35)
– Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
3. Michigan – communities, school case study (10:50)
4. Illinois – cities: public property ban and watershed outreach (11:05)
5. Wrap-up/Questions and answers (11:20)

End of formal program (11:30) – presenters will be available for further Q&A until 12:00 Eastern