Inside the Coal Tar Industry’s Propaganda to Stop the IL Ban
Last time I checked, the State of Illinois ended their session marking more than 700 days without a working budget. That may have contributed to the difficulty in getting a ban (HB 2958) passed, but the propaganda by the industry didn’t help.We have obtained a copy of the what the industry was distributing to legislators […]
Asleep at the Wheel? 3 Reasons Why IL Lawmaker is Against Coal Tar Ban
Representative Reick, I am taking the time to respond to you because I believe you might have some political courage to have an open mind and act beyond the current agenda of your party. You might be surprised at the fundamentals we agree on, but your conclusions appear to be a leap of convenience which […]
ACTION ALERT: IL HB2958 Amended From Coal Tar Ban to Ban Choice
from the Illinois Sierra Club: Amendment 2 will allow local control to non-home rule municipalities and counties to regulate the use of carcinogenic coal tar pavement sealants. [The only home rule county in Illinois is Cook, and home rule municipalities in Illinois include only those with populations over 25,000.] HB2958 Amendment 2 will allow Illinois […]
Chicagoland Scientist Says Coal Tar Sealer Ban is an Uncomplicated Taxpayer Issue
The following is the testimony that Deanna Doohaluk, MPH of the Conservation Foundation gave in support of the ban of coal tar sealers in Illinois. When it comes to summarizing the watershed/taxpayer nexus with clarity, she threw nothing but strikes! It is included here with the permission of the Conservation Foundation.At time of publishing, this […]
Why Coal Tar Sealers Fail to Meet Consumer Protection Standards
Illinois Coal Tar Ban to be Heard by House Consumer Protection Committee ***ALERT*********************** If you want to support this legislation (HB2958) then do the following before Tuesday 3/14/2017: Please help protect our health and environment and pass the bill this time by filling out a witness slip and signing on as a proponent of the […]
“Lesson in Good Government” Leads Suburban Chicago Community to Ban Coal Tar Sealers
Village of Wilmette listens & rejects industry arguments While it appears that over 25 million Americans watched the President’s address to Congress last night, there was also good TV to be seen in the livestream of the Village of Wilmette Council meeting. Several high school students were on hand to witness portions of what the […]
Industry “No Risk” Claims Pure Fiction
On February 24th the Daily North Shore (Illinois) published an opinion piece by the coal tar industry trade group entitled, “Sealcoating Ban Lacks Research.” Too bad the paper doesn’t have a fiction section because that is where that opinion piece belongs. The industry, namely the Pavement Coatings Technology Council, makes a slough of false statements in […]
Chicago Suburbs’ Unexpected Encounter with Coal Tar Sealers
A few years ago, a watershed management group in the Chicago suburbs set out to find why their streams poorly supported aquatic life. They expected to find that the main culprits were heavy metals, which are common urban pollutants. Instead they found the principal pollutant was coming from coal tar pavement sealers. Recently Stephen McCracken, […]
Illinois to be Well-Covered by Coal Tar Sealer Talks Next Week
In addition to the session mentioned in our last post which will be at Benedictine University in Lisle, a USGS scientist will be discussing the science of coal tar sealer pollution across the State. Public meetings will be held on the following schedule: Barrington Area Council of Governments October 14, 6:30-7:30 pm Barrington Village Hall, […]
Is Growing Coalition in IL Enough to Drive the Coal Tar Out?
There is a growing coalition of business, health, governmental and environmental organizations supporting Representative Laura Fine‘s proposed ban of coal tar pavement sealers. The bill, House Bill 2401, calls for the ban of coal tar pavement products by the end of this year. The opponents are a formidable brew of big business, labor, and chemical interests. As with […]