"Too Toxic for the Landfill, but OK for your Driveway" Front Page Chicago Tribune Article Exposes this serious but publicly un-realized issue...
The Chicago "Tribune Watchdog" blows the Coal Tar Coatings issue sky high with this revealing story, to read the article click on the following link (please be patient for it to open).
Front Page Chicago Tribune, January 16, 2011
Washington DC District Orders Removal of Toxic Coal Tar Sealant From Private Parking Lot...
Remediation no longer just a possibility is now becoming reality. Many communities and agencies are choosing to ban this highly toxic sealant, and now some are also requiring remediation. That means "removing" the toxic substance from pavement surfaces and disposing of it in an environmentally sound manner. Not only are they writing laws imposing hefty fines for both
applicators and owners, but requiring "remediation" or removal of the coating from pavement surfaces. We see this as a trend as more agencies recognize the Dangers of Coal Tar Coatings runoff. For
more information on this story
Coal Tar Ban in The District of Columbia
Common sense says this measure adds significicant impetus that will change "business as usual" and cause buyers and contractors to carefully consider ramifications. One can only hope it will effect a turn away from the use of coal tar coatings toward more eco-human friendly preservation treatments like GSB-88 Sealer Binder.
For more information on this and many related topics click on the following link.
Coal Tar Blogs
"Coal Tar Free America" the newest and most informative website keeping track of this contentious issue...
As public agencies across the nation study the effects of coal tar coatings, many are choosing to ban this highly toxic sealant. In fact, teeth are being added to these laws not only by imposing hefty fines for both
applicators and owners, but something much more onerous and expensive, requiring "remediation" or removal of the coating from pavement surfaces.
Common sense says this measure adds significant impetus that will change "business as usual" and cause buyers and contractors to carefully consider ramifications. One can only hope it will effect a turn away from the use of coal tar coatings toward more eco-human friendly preservation treatments like GSB-88 Sealer Binder.
For more information on this and many related topics click on the following link.
Coal Tar Blogs
"State bans coal tar sealants in big win for foes" Toxic ingredients turn up in water, house dust, researchers say...
Washington state has become the first in the nation to ban toxic asphalt sealants made from cancer-causing industrial waste that have been spread over vast swaths of the nation’s cities and suburbs. For more information click on the following link.
Washington State Bans Coal Tar Sealant
"First in The Nation Coal Tar Ban passes, State of WA"
OLYMPIA – Today, the Washington State Legislature enacted a first-in-the-nation ban on toxic coal tar sealants, a substance responsible for
significant storm water pollution and toxic contamination in lakes and waterways across the country. ESHB 1721 prohibits the sale of coal tar in Washington in
2012 and prevents the application of coal tar in 2013. For more information click on the following link.
First in nation ban on toxic coal tar sealants...
"Asphalt Institute Study on "Differences Between Asphalt & Coal Tar"
The Asphalt Institute is the voice of the Asphalt Industry, conducting ongoing research and development on the latest technologies in the paving industry.
As the experts the paving industry they point would be seal coating projects away from coal tar towards petroleum based products. The reason is simple, Report RR-78-1 is a
highly technical report on the chemistry of petroleum asphalt compared to coal tar pitch and road tars and sheds light on the reason for this stance, and why
coal tar coatings are not as effective as petroleum base treatments. For more information click on the following PDF file.
Differences Between Asphalt & Coal Tar.pdf
"Alarming Levels of Coal Tar Dust From Seal Coatings showing up in homes..." MSNBC News Jan 2010
Chemicals in a cancer-causing substance used to seal pavement, parking lots and driveways across the U.S. are showing up at alarming levels in dust in homes, prompting
concerns about the potential health effects of long-term exposure, a new study shows.
The substance is coal tar sealant, a waste product of steel manufacturing that is used to protect pavement and asphalt against cracking and water damage, and to impart
a nice dark sheen. It is applied most heavily east of the Rockies but is used in all 50 states.
But scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey say the sealant — one of two types commonly used in the U.S. — doesn’t stay put. It slowly wears off and is tracked into
homes on the shoes of residents. For More info go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34809699/ns/us_news-environment
USGS RESEARCH Parking Lot Seal coat: A Major Source of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(PAH's) in Urban and Suburban Environments
Collaborative studies by the City of Austin and the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) have identified coal-tar based
seal coat—the black, shiny emulsion painted or sprayed on
asphalt pavement such as parking lots—as a major and previously unrecognized source of
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH's) contamination. Several PAH's are suspected human
carcinogens and are toxic to aquatic life. Studies in Austin, Texas, showed that particles in runoff from coal-tar based
seal coated parking lots had concentrations of PAH's that were about 65 times higher than concentrations in particles washed off parking lots that had not been
seal coated. Biological studies, conducted by the City of Austin
in the field and in the laboratory, indicated that PAH's levels in sediment contaminated with abraded
seal coat were toxic to aquatic life and were degrading aquatic communities
, as indicated by loss of species and decreased numbers of organisms. Identification of this source of
PAH's may help to improve future strategies for controlling these
compounds in urban water bodies across the Nation where parking lot seal coat is used. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34809699//
COAL TAR COATINGS UNSAFE FOR THE ECOSYSTEM
The question? Where has the sharp increase in toxic PAH's found in our national urban water shed during the last twenty years come from? The answer was uncovered in June of 2005 in Austin, Texas in the Barton Springs watershed study co-authored by the City of Austin and the USGS. The study found extremely high concentrations of
PAH's (double the concentrations found in a Federal Superfund Cleanup site in Ohio) in Austin's pristine Barton Springs spring-fed natural aquatic playground.
The June 2005 study identifies Polycyclic
Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH's) found in coal tar seal coatings as a primary watershed pollutant threatening aquatic life as well as the potential threat to human health. One ingredient in significant quantities is included in The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) list of twelve persistent
Bioaccumulative and Toxic Chemicals (PBTs). According to the EPA, "PBTs are highly toxic and long-lasting substances that can build up in the food chain and become harmful to human and ecosystem health."
WHAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY?
Should we conduct a national debate while these carcinogens and toxins continue to rise in our lakes, streams, rivers, aquifers and soils? The fact is, no one really knows just how significant the effect of these lethal carcinogens will be to human, animal, and plant life over time.
WHAT CAN I DO NOW TO HELP?
You can choose to eliminate over 90% of PAH's released into our ecosystem and make a positive impact on the environment! Choose safer asphalt based treatments. There are many safe and low level
PAH's preservation processes that will protect your asphalt investment and our environment, all at the same time. Read the MSDS information on the coatings you consider before making a buying decision. If it contains any coal tar derivatives, just say NO!
More on environmental hazards of coal tar coatings can be found at:
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