Righting the Politics of Coal Tar
While industry hasn’t been shy to hide behind political skirts before, they are now using them to attack the science of sealant pollution. Recently the Director of the Pavement Coatings Technology Council (PCTC), posted an article a conservative website called American Thinker. For some strange reason (sarcasm), she did not disclose that her day job […]
MN & NonProfit Work to Reduce Coal Tar Sealcoat Use in Great Lakes Region
This post was co-authored by Al Innes of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Cheryl Kallio of Freshwater Future and copied from the GLRPPR (Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable) website. Freshwater Future, a non-profit based in west Michigan, has been “spreading” the word about reducing PAH contamination from coal tar sealcoat across the […]
Great Coal Tar News from a Most Unexpected Place: China
From the world’s largest producer of coal tar, China, comes a glimmer of hope and perhaps better times ahead for the Chinese people. Poor air quality is the reason cited for shuttering a coking facility’s operation at the end of June by the Chinese government. An associated coal tar producing facility was also scheduled to […]
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 […]
Another Problem with Coal Tar Sealer Washoffs: Groundwater
We have learned a lot about coal tar sealer pollution over the last decade or so. We know that uncured and recently cured coal tar sealers continue to export toxins days and weeks after application. We know this affects fish, salamanders and other aquatic species. But one line of research that hasn’t been done is […]
Illinois Ban Fails…Illinoisans
Late last month the Environmental Committee of the Illinois House of Representatives failed to move the ban of coal tar pavement sealers, HB 4599, forward. With an 8 to 8 vote, the bill was moved to the Rules Committee to most likely die quietly at the end of this session. How can something so simple, […]
Sealant Worker Safety Myth in Jeopardy
The sealer industry is fond of saying how safe their product is for worker safety. No evidence, no claims, no one harmed. Even during this spring’s legislative season, the statements have continued. Our position has been that it is faulty logic to claim a statement as true without any comprehensive analysis to support it. Until […]
Tales From the Front: What Coal Tar Contractors are Telling Their Customers
A letter is being circulated around among contractors that continue to use coal tar sealants. They use it to convince their customers to continue to use this toxic product. Isn’t it amazing that this was the most read article among sealcoating contractors in 2012 and 2013? It was written from a contractor to his client to […]
Coating Association’s Failed Pledge Unpalatable
The American Coatings Association (ACA) appears to have either a short memory or a change of heart. In 2011, their own website announced “ACA will not be advocating against state and local coal tar driveway sealer bans” because of “concern that these sealants emit high concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) that may impact fish […]
Illinois Sealant Industry Claims Mired in Tired Rhetoric
The sealant industry, presumably backed by some influential business and labor organizations, recently came out with a 2-page summary of why they think a coal tar sealant ban is a bad idea in Illinois. Those reasons are, for the most part, desperate retreads of old industry myths mired in the past with little basis in […]