When to Expect Benefits from Kicking the Coal Tar Habit
***Editor’s Note*** This article was written before the completion of a study by the USGS (2014) which found a 58% reduction in toxins in Austin’s primary waters nine years after the ban went into effect in 2006. For more on this study see this link. The benefits of banning coal tar pavement sealant are both […]
Leading Public Works Group Hears the Truth about Coal Tar Sealcoat from the USGS
Coal tar sealant debris accumulating at the curb of a sealed parkinglot. This material presents an exposure hazard and may migrate to the streams, lakes and homes. Photo by USGS. This month the USGS presented the science of coal tar sealant pollution to one of the nation’s premier public works organizations, the APWA in their APWA Reporter magazine. The […]
Human Health, Coal Tar Sealants, & PAHs: the State of the Science
While our understanding continues to develop on coal tar sealants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and human health, […]
Air Quality and Coal Tar Pavement Sealers, the State of the Science
There is an abundance of research on the air quality impacts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s). While much of the work has focused on industrial workers1, recent studies have included the effects of airborne PAH’s on the unborn including obesity2, lower IQ 3, and behavioral problems 4. Very few studies have been done specifically on […]
EPA Announces Historic, June 14th, Free Webinar on Coal Tar Sealants
The US Environmental Protection Agency today announced an upcoming, online seminar about coal tar sealant pollution as it relates to stormwater management. While the EPA says that the opinions of the presenters do not necessarily reflect an endorsement by the Agency, merely hosting the webinar is one of the strongest acknowledgements of coal tar sealant […]
More Coverage of Austin School District’s Coal Tar Sealant Removal Plan
Click on above picture to go to the video link. Related stories: The problem of coal tar pollution at schools has been covered on this site previously: Austin Schools Advance to Head of the Class with Landmark Sealant Cleanup Announcement Our Babies Are Exposed to Tar at Unsafe Levels at School Austin School District Nears Landmark […]
City of Austin Names Creek in Honor of Coal Tar Sealant Pollution Pioneer Tom Bashara
It has been a year now, since the death of my friend and colleague, Tom Bashara. Tom was the first to figure out the problem of coal tar sealant pollution. Recently the City of Austin named the location of his discovery “Bashara Creek.” The following is what accompanied the announcement: On April 4, 2012, the […]
School Tar Removal Plan on Austin TV News
As reported here last week, the school district for Austin, TX has announced that they will be removing coal tar pavement sealant from about 60 school parking lots and playgrounds. Today the local TV news covered the story and interviewed a concerned parent. Below is a graphic of the page and the link to the video […]
Austin Schools Advance to Head of the Class with Landmark Sealant Cleanup Announcement
In a dramatic decision, the Austin Independent School District (AISD) has announced plans to cleanup legacy coal tar sealant pollution from its playgrounds and parking lots. In all likelihood, this is the first time any district in North America has taken this action. It has been estimated that nearly 10,000 schools across the US have […]
USGS Publishes State-of-the-Science Sealant Paper with-State-Local-University Collaboration
A new paper compiles the state of our knowledge about the environmental and human health effects of coal tar sealant as well as the status of legislative action has just been published. In addition to the USGS, contributors included the State of Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the University of New Hampshire, Baylor University and the […]