Canada’s Driveway Sealer Ban Starts in October
What May be the World’s First Nationwide Ban of Toxic Pavement Sealers The Canadian government has announced the start date for what may be the world’s first nationwide ban of coal tar and high PAH pavement sealers. Nearly 100 units of government have taken similar action in the United States, but an attempted nationwide ban […]
New Research Highlights Problems with Biocides in Some Sealcoats
Going to print this month is research out of Dickinson College (PA) about the potential leaching of biocides out of some asphalt-based pavement sealers. The research is already online in the peer-reviewed, science periodical Science of the Total Environment at this link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969724032704 The study analyzed simulated runoff from freshly applied, but cured asphalt-based sealer […]
Toxic Sealers: An Origin and Redemption Story
Imagine for a moment that you woke up to a scathing, critical expose in the local paper about your work. Like the entire front page, headlines, and a whole lot of the front section. Even the political cartoon mocked your work. Add to this that your job was taking care of one of the most […]
Maryland’s Safer Sealant Act has Officially Passed!!
Summary of Fed’s First Study of Applicator Exposure to Coal Tar Sealers
This month the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released its much anticipated exposure study (See Link) for sealcoat applicators. NIOSH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study was 6 years in the making. It includes 32 pages of highly technical […]
GOVERNOR HOCHUL SIGNS PACKAGE OF BILLS PROHIBITING USE OF PAVEMENT PRODUCTS CONTAINING COAL TAR
For Immediate Release: 11/8/2021 GOVERNOR HOCHUL SIGNS PACKAGE OF BILLS PROHIBITING USE OF ‘GRADE 6’ FUEL OIL AND USE OF PAVEMENT PRODUCTS CONTAINING COAL TAR Legislation (S.4095b/A.518a) Prohibits the Use and Sale of Pavement Products That Contain Coal Tar Governor Kathy Hochul today signed a package of legislation to protect public health and the environment and address harmful pollutants […]
Dear NY Governor: It is Time to Lead on Coal Tar Sealers
Governor Hochul, Thank you for last week’s allocation of $59 million dollars for the Clean Green School Initiative to improve air quality of schools for disadvantaged students. I also appreciate your experience growing up in the industrial sector of Buffalo. One of the things which made the air so terrible was coal tar, a byproduct […]
**New** Video: the Perils of Pavement Preservation
Earlier this month Tom Ennis presented to the North Branch of the Chicago River Watershed Workgroup (NBWW) and the latest information on coal tar sealers, ethylene cracked residues (also known as petroleum resins), and legislation restricting their use. This presentation was dedicated to colleagues Dr. Barbara Mahler and Dr. Peter Van Meter of the USGS […]
A Victory for Illinois’ Children!
Last Friday the Illinois Governor signed the Coal Tar Disclosure Bill into law. This culminates the awakening to this issue in the State starting with the USGS back in 2010, front page coverage by the Chicago Tribune in 2011, the first municipal ban by South Barrington followed by more than a dozen others and now this law. The sponsor, Senator […]
After 10 Years the NY Ban Passes Assembly AND Senate
The following press release came from Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal’s Office. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 6, 2021 Contact: Lauren Schuster | schusterl@nyassembly.gov | (347) 729-4729 Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal Announces Passage of Her Bill to Ban the Use of Coal Tar-Based Sealant Products Now Heads to Governor’s Desk New York, NY – New York State […]