Should I Stay or Should I Go? 5 Factors to Think About Living with Coal Tar
5 Things to Consider if You Can Live with Coal Tar Sealed Asphalt Let me let you in on a secret. Frequently I am contacted by people shocked and saddened by the harsh reality that they and their loved ones are living in the midst of mobile, potent carcinogens; endocrine disruptors; and chemicals which cause […]
Westwood: MA’s First Municipal Ban of Coal Tar Sealers!
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts joins eight other states and districts with an outright ban of coal tar pavement sealers by a community within its borders! On May 4, 2015 the Town of Westwood, with an appropriate moniker “Committed to Service,” passed the Commonwealth’s first ban of this product. Westwood (population 14,000) is a picturesque, historic […]
From Silent Spring to Surprising Sealcoats
An In-depth Interview with the Fed’s Leading Researcher on Coal Tar Sealers Here’s a rare glimpse into the timeline of the research accomplished the USGS on this topic, which was conducted by the University of Illinois Extension which offers “educational programs to residents of all of Illinois’ 102 counties – and far beyond.” Amazingly, it affects […]
2015 Update: Research Summary of Human Health, Coal Tar Sealants, & PAHs
While our understanding continues to develop on coal tar sealants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and human health, occasionally it is good to pull all of what we know together into a somewhat succinct summary. That is my hope here. New research has been added since this was first compiled in 2012. In general research has found […]
Pick Your Poison; aka Driveway Sealer Scams
Linden, NJ — Earlier this month an 85-year old woman was scammed by a door-to-to contractor offering her a “great deal” on sealing her driveway . She paid $7,000 for an incomplete job after a group of young men came to the house and appeared to use black spray paint instead of pavement sealer. A […]
New Coal Tar Ban Pushed Out in MD
Additional information about the ban and a more complete list of currently suitable substitutes can be found by clicking here.
Honestly, Does Your Community Have What It Takes?
Through a variety of projects, I have been thinking a lot about batteries lately. Yes we have Tesla’s new home battery announcement, Powerwall, but my projects are quite a bit less grand or expensive. It got me wondering how a ban of coal tar pavement sealers is like stringing a bunch of batteries together to […]
Apples, Oranges and Coal Tar Shampoo
On several occasions industry has resorted to the old “coal tar shampoo” tactic. In essence, it goes like this: “If coal tar sealer is so bad for people, then why can you buy it in shampoo?” Recently a state legislator echoed the argument fed him by industry; hook, line and sinker: “As long as you […]
It’s Watershed-Wide & A National Guide!
Anacostia Watershed First Multi-jurisdictional, Coal Tar Free Watershed in US First was the District of Columbia’s ban in 2008 under the leadership of Councilmember Mary Cheh. This was followed by Montgomery County’s ban sponsored by Councilmember Craig Rice in 2012. This was Maryland’s first ban. Now in April 2015, Prince George’s County, MD passed a […]
When There’s a Lot Riding on Your Pavement…Ask the FAA
We continue to hear people say that non-coal tar containing sealers are just too new or experimental or that they just don’t perform up to the standards of coal tar sealers. What is the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) perspective on this because they have a lot more riding on their pavement than on your driveway. […]