Congressman Doggett Compliments, But Challenges EPA on Sealants
Just a few days ago, Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) delivered a new message to the Administrator of the EPA, Lisa Jackson, complimenting some movement on environmental issues, but pressing the Agency that the work on sealants is far from complete. EPA efforts that were applauded included attention to polluted runoff from coal tar sealed lots […]
CONSUMER ALERT: Applicator Deception May Be on the Rise!
We have recently seen written claims by applicators of coal tar sealants boasting about their deceptive practices when selling their products. There has been enough information about coal tar sealants that folks frequently ask if the sealant has coal tar in it. They are told that no it is “environmentally friendly” and safe for the […]
Industry Group Vows Neutrality on Coal Tar Sealant Bans
Photo Courtesy of the CIA Editor’s note: As of 2014, this pledge has been broken and is included here as a historical reference only. An update to this can be found here. Recently the American Coating Association (ACA), with over 1,000 member companies and a history of more than 100 years, announced that they […]
Add Buffalo, MN to The List of Coal Tar Sealant Bans!
Word comes from Minnesota that the City of Buffalo has passed a ban of coal tar pavement sealants. Buffalo is a community of about 15,000 between Minneapolis and St. Cloud, Minnesota. This marks the ninth city or town in this state to pass a ban and pushes number of US citizens under a coal tar […]
Ban Coming from the Land of Gatsby and Osprey?
Interesting news from the Long Island, opulent mansions immortalized by F. Scott Fitzgerald in the Great Gatsby and the County that marked the first successful action against the use of the osprey-damaging chemical, DDT in the 1960’s. At the time of this writing, Suffolk County, New York is considering a coal tar sealant ban. This action, sponsored by […]
Coal Tar in the Big Apple
One of the goals of this blog is to act as a resource for people who want to learn more about coal tar sealant pollution and the major constituent of concern in it, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). To that end, check out what we know about New York and what is happening right now. If […]
America Responds to Washington Ban
This week’s signing of the first statewide, coal tar sealant ban spread throughout the nation and the world. Response to the MSNBC article, “State Bans Coal Tar Sealants in Big Win for Foes; Toxic Ingredients Turning up in Water, House Dust, Researchers Say” has been overwhelming. The first three sentences of the article are compelling: […]
Washington State Ban Official Today! Bans Now Affect Nearly 9 Million!
The State of Washington is expected today to stand as the first in the state in the nation to ban coal tar pavement sealants! Governor Chris Gregoire is scheduled to sign the bill into law later today. The ban, when implemented, will push the number of US citizens affected by coal tar sealant bans to near […]
USGS Video of Congressional Briefing Now Online
PAHs Increasing in Urban U.S. Lakes from Laura Parsons on Vimeo. In mid-April the United States Geological Survey presented the science of coal tar sealant pollution to Congress. Earlier we summarized the presentation in a blog posted later that day entitled, “USGS Shines as PCTC Whines in DC”. As you can see above, the video of this […]
EPA: DC Ban A Protype of Future Federal Action?
Speculation comes from the online newsletter, Environmental Newsstand, that the United States EPA may use the future renewal of a community’s MS4 Permit as a means of requiring a coal tar sealant ban. We have heard it from a few sources that is the same means that the State of Michigan was going to implement their statewide […]