This month the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released its much anticipated exposure study 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 information.  And unfortunately […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

In case you missed it, Jeremy Cherson of the Riverkeepers and I were interviewed about this session’s coal tar bill for the State of New York. The bill has passed their Senate and at the time of this writing the motion to pass this ban is very much alive in the New York State Assembly. […]

Sad news from Texas today as many of us learned about the death of Dr. Peter Van Metre of the United States Geological Society.  Last summer Pete retired from full-time work at USGS and there was a Zoom retirement party for him. Yes it was kind of awkward but you could appreciate the geographical and […]