Austin Celebrates David and Goliath Moment!
Austin Celebrates 10th Anniversary of the Nation’s First Coal Tar Sealer Ban
City Biologist Recounts Highs and Lows of Discovery, Media, and the Ban On November 18, 2005 the City of Austin enacted the nation’s first ban of coal tar sealers. Ten years later, Austin’s waters are cleaner and over 18 million Americans have joined them in a ban. The local university’s saying (the University of Texas), […]
TarMan Chronicles: First 10 Years Coal Tar Free
First of all Happy Birthday Austin, Texas which today, 10 years ago, passed the nation’s first ban of coal tar pavement sealers. To mark that occasion, here is a 2 minute cartoon-video which tries to summarize the highlights of what has happened in that 10 years. My apologies to some if I have not highlighted […]
When Popular Isn’t Good Enough
Ah the accolades of peers! ….the adoration of the masses! Sometimes it just isn’t good enough! Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying this is the status of this site, by any means. However about two months ago, Stormwater Magazine published a story about the decline of PAHs in Austin, Texas since the ban of […]
Austin Board: Coal Tar Ban Success Demands a National Response
Late last month Austin’s Environmental Board unanimously voted to modify the City’s federal legislative agenda to include a national ban on coal tar pavement sealers. This motion was made after hearing a presentation by staff biologist Mateo Scoggins on the recent USGS research that showed nearly a 60% decline in pollution levels in the sediments […]
Video Summary of Austin’s Water Quality Improvements
US News & World Report Picks Up on Austin’s Ban Success
Yesterday US News and World Report covered the recent USGS study showing the levels of toxic chemicals in Austin’s lake sediments have dropped nearly 60% since the City implemented a ban of coal tar pavement sealers. This is the first national news outlet to pick up on this story. Last week Congressman Lloyd Doggett held […]
Doggett: USGS Coal Tar Report Wake Up Call for America
From the desk of Congressman Lloyd Doggett:I am writing to share some good news about efforts to combat carcinogens. I recently joined U.S. Geological Survey scientists Peter Van Metre and Barbara Mahler and Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell to announce the dramatic decrease in PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons), a known carcinogen from coal tar sealants, found […]
Study: Austin Emerging From Coal Tar Sealer Stupor
Downtown Austin as viewed from Lake Bird Lake in 2013. A groundbreaking, new study just released by the USGS (United States Geological Survey) definitively demonstrates the positive watershed effects of a ban of coal tar pavement sealers. For the first time, the study results showed, in the latest version online edition of Environmental Science and […]
The Myth of “Controversial” Coal Tar Sealant Science
In the recent USA TODAY article about pavement sealcoats, the coal tar industry labeled research conducted by USGS and others as “controversial science.” It is a retread of an old industry position, but I thought it might be helpful for a little further examination of this claim. This is only controversial in the spins of […]