Hear from Experts at Nov. 18th Seminar/Free Webinar on PAHs and Coal Tar Sealants
If you’ve had any questions about the topic of this website, mark this day on your calendar. This seminar represents a first assemblage of leading experts on this topic from around the country. Hear from one of the USGS researchers who first published about coal tar sealant pollution; a toxicologist who has been studying coal […]
Cleanup Costs “Huge Problem;” Drives Another Minnesota Town Toward a Coal Tar Sealant Ban
With more municipal coal tar sealant bans than any other state in the US, another Minnesota community is moving toward passage of a ban. The real cost of disposing dredged sediment from retention ponds has led the City of Inver Grove Heights to begin the process to pass a ban. According to an article in […]
New EPA Runoff Study Says Coal Tar Sealant Bans Maybe Most Cost-Effective Way to Control Pollution
The Environmental Protection Agency has completed their runoff report as was promised to Congressman Lloyd Doggett 2 years ago. The official title is Assessment of Water Quality of Runoff from Sealed Asphalt Surfaces, but perhaps a more appropriate title would be: “An Assessment of PAH Pollution Potential from Pavement Sealants During the Curing Process.” That’s because […]
Austin School District Nears Landmark Decision on Coal Tar Sealants
Over two years ago Austin’s school district (AISD) committed to investigate the use of coal tar pavement sealants “as soon as possible.” Now a story in a local newspaper, the Oak Hill Gazette. indicates the district is closer to having an action plan. The action plan would be the nation’s first for coal tar pavement sealants, […]
EPA Shows Toxicity of Coal Tar Sealants in Controlled Study
The much-anticipated EPA analysis of coal tar sealant runoff at Edison, New Jersey is now available. Actually the preliminary results were presented last year at a conference sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). It is available at this link. A more thorough publication is expected in the future. The researchers set up […]
Cleveland Rocks! Park District Avoids Coal Tar Use
Cleveland has long been a symbol of America struggling to emerge out of our industrial past. Some of the most polluted streams from coal tar waste have been found here downstream of coking facilities. Now the Cleveland Metro Parks is continuing the vision of a new cleaner, more sustainable future by specifying non-coal tar products […]
Congressman Doggett: New EPA Coal Tar Study Supports Further Action
Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX) revealed on Wednesday that the results of a new EPA study of coal tar pavement sealants support the need “to protect our waterways and especially our children.” The comment was made in a local Austin, Texas paper, the Oak Hill Gazette. The Gazette also broke the story about Congressman Doggett’s correspondence with the EPA […]
Chicago Suburb Steers Away From Coal Tar Sealant Use
The Village of Hoffman Estates, Illinois recently opened bids for transportation projects and announced that coal tar sealants would not be used on the 2011 Crack Sealing and Seal Coating Project: As a part of ongoing environmental reviews and recent industry concerns, the Village chose to steer away from the traditional coal tar based seal coating products used in the […]
Are Hot Tar Cities Increasing Our Energy Bills While Decreasing Our Air Quality?
Research from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL) indicates that they definitely are. In partnership with the EPA, LBL has studied the ability of urban materials to reflect light and absorb heat. The above graphic is of Washington, D.C. and the hot colors indicate the heated locations. Some of this research was co-authored by the current […]
Even Seven Devils Warn Against Using Coal Tar Sealants!
The Town of Seven Devils warns against the use of coal tar pavement sealants. Located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Seven Devils is surrounded by local, state and national preserves and parks. Their website says: Coal Tar Sealant Warning!! Use of Coal Tar may be hazardous to your health and the environment. A […]