Edina Becomes Minnesota’s 13th Community to Ban Coal Tar Sealants
Last night Edina, Minnesota, in spite of pressure from industry, passed a ban of coal tar pavement sealants. With a population over 47,000 and the reputation of being one of the most affluent suburbs of Minneapolis, Edina’s ban will go into effect next week. I’m getting behind on my tally of communites, which is a […]
12th Minnesota Town Says “NO” to Coal Tar Sealants
Tonight the City of Inver Grove Heights passed a ban of coal tar pavement sealants. With over 578 stormwater ponds that collect this toxic sediment, the City is now eligible to receive state grants to assist in the costs of disposal of the dredged pond material. This is a huge problem throughout the […]
DC Ban Violator Successfully Removes Toxic Sealant!
The District of Columbia’s Department of the Environment has completed their first remediation of a violation of their coal tar sealant ban. The technique, shot blasting, has been described on this site (see What If CTS is on My Driveway?!) as a means to remove the material without causing additional pollution problems. I hope to […]
Austin Ban Illustrates Prudent Pollution Prevention According to National Research Council
I came across this report I read several years ago that is just as pertinent today as it was in 2008 and thought I would share it with the readers of this site. The National Research Council of the National Academies, with nearly 150 years of Congressional authorization on science, medicine and engineering, authored a […]
Austin School District Nears Landmark Decision on Coal Tar Sealants
Over two years ago Austin’s school district (AISD) committed to investigate the use of coal tar pavement sealants “as soon as possible.” Now a story in a local newspaper, the Oak Hill Gazette. indicates the district is closer to having an action plan. The action plan would be the nation’s first for coal tar pavement sealants, […]
Congressman Doggett: New EPA Coal Tar Study Supports Further Action
Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX) revealed on Wednesday that the results of a new EPA study of coal tar pavement sealants support the need “to protect our waterways and especially our children.” The comment was made in a local Austin, Texas paper, the Oak Hill Gazette. The Gazette also broke the story about Congressman Doggett’s correspondence with the EPA […]
Just the FAQ’s Now Available
With a growing site of information about the problem of coal tar sealant pollution, it seemed reasonable to put together an FAQ or “Frequently Asked Questions” section on the topic. The answers have links to sites, posts, or videos that go into more detail. Some references are quoted extensively because they are well-written and succint. […]
A Worry-Free Guide to Implementing a Coal Tar Sealant Ban
I’ve heard a lot of speculation over the last few years about how difficult it is to implement a ban of coal tar sealants. Most of the time it is from purported experts that are attempting to make it seem “just too hard” or those that are just guessing and haven’t done their homework. No more guessing, […]
Oh Canada Passes Coal Tar Sealant Ban!
Well sort of. Actually the City of Little Canada’s City Council passed a coal tar sealant ban in late July. Little Canada (population about 10,000) becomes the 11th community in Minnesota to pass a ban. The ban is effective immediately and violators can face fines up to $1,000 and/or a maximum jail sentence up to 90 […]
Industry Whiffs at Ban Veto Pitch in Suffolk County
Representatives of the coal tar sealant industry failed yesterday in their attempt to overturn a coal tar sealant ban passed by the Suffolk County Legislature. In June members of the coal tar sealant industry petitioned outgoing Republican County Executive Steve Levy to veto the ban. As was reported in an earlier story, industry claimed there was no […]