Here’s the announcement from Senator Fine’s website:

“SPRINGFIELD – To better protect the health of children and all Illinois residents, the use of toxic coal tar-based pavement sealant in construction projects at public schools and state agencies will have to be disclosed under a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview), which was signed into law Friday.

“Children and families across Illinois should be able to live their lives without exposure to cancer-causing chemicals on the playground or at work,” Senator Fine said. “This law will protect our communities today and our environment for years to come.”

Under Senator Fine’s Coal Tar Sealant Act, public schools, public school districts, daycares and state agencies will be required to disclose the use of coal tar-based sealant on playgrounds, parking lots and other paved areas. This measure will also require groups planning to use coal tar-based sealant for a pavement project to look into cleaner alternatives.

High levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) are found in coal tar sealants used in pavement projects, which could lead to environmental contamination as the sealants wear away over time. There are environmentally friendly alternatives to coal tar-based sealants with little to no PAH that are available at a similar cost.

Studies have shown PAH compounds may cause cancer, birth defects and other health complications. Lifelong exposure to coal tar-treated pavements and playgrounds can increase an individual’s cancer risk by 38 times.

“Clearing playgrounds, schools, park districts and public buildings of coal tar is an important step to eliminating a pollutant that is a threat to our local environment and a health hazard to Illinoisans,” said State Representative Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), who sponsored the bill in the House. “Removing coal tar products will help ensure our communities are a safe place for our kids to grow up.”

Senate Bill 692 was signed into law Friday and will take effect Jan. 1, 2023.

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Read more here.

The post “Senator Fine measure to protect communities from toxic pavement sealants signed into law” appeared first on Ecoshield Asphalt.

From Governor Hochul’s website:

“Governor Kathy Hochul today signed a package of legislation to protect public health and the environment and address harmful pollutants in New York State. Legislation S.2936a/A.5029a prohibits the burning of grade 6 fuel oil in buildings. Legislation S.4095b/A.518a bans the use and sale of pavement products that contain coal tar.

“The harmful effects of climate change and pollution have only heightened the importance of protecting the well-being of New Yorkers and the preservation of our state’s environment,” Governor Hochul said. “This legislation takes important steps to ensure that New Yorkers have access to clean water and a breathable environment free of harmful pollutants.”

Legislation S.2936a/A.5029a will reduce the level of toxic air pollutants that are a result of burning grade 6 fuel oil in buildings. Grade 6 fuel oil contains high concentrations of contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, nitric oxide, sulfur dioxide, nickel, and black carbon that are released into the air when it is used to heat buildings. PAHs are proven human carcinogens, and sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide are known respiratory irritants. Studies show combustion of grade 6 fuel oil forms soot that when conveyed into the atmosphere create a source of air pollution and contribute to respiratory illness. Cost-effective alternatives for building heating are available in the market today to both reduce emissions and lower energy costs for building owners. The prohibition on the use of grade 6 fuel oil in buildings for heating goes into effect on July 1, 2023.

Assemblymember Amy Paulin said, “The climate crisis is rapidly accelerating, and so must our response. This legislation takes aim at one of the prime causes of climate change and extreme weather:  air pollution. Fuel oil grade number 6 releases extremely harmful pollutants into our air. We must take every step possible to make sure that the air we breathe is clean and contributes to life.  This law is a positive step in that direction. I thank Governor Hochul for signing this important legislation into law and for her commitment to protecting our health and the health of our environment.”

Legislation S.4095b/A.518a prohibits the use and sale of coal tar-based pavement sealants that contain benzo(a)pyrene and other similar carcinogenic PAHs which are harmful to wildlife and have been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to increase cancer risks, particularly in children. Recent studies conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey have shown that while levels of most common environmental pollutants in waterways are consistently declining, levels of pollutants found in coal tar sealants are increasing. These carcinogens leach into soils and waterways through runoff, posing a toxic threat to these waterways and aquatic life. Chemicals associated with coal tar-based sealants that are known carcinogens, such as PAHs, have also been identified in house dust at alarming levels. Safer and more environmentally friendly pavement products, like asphalt-based pavement sealants, that contain PAHs in substantially lower concentrations (typically 50 ppm total PAH) are on the market and readily available. The prohibition on the sale of these products will begin Nov. 8, 2022. The ban on the use of pavement products containing coal tar starts Nov. 8, 2023.

Senator James Sanders Jr. said, “This new law will protect residents of Southeast Queens and all New Yorkers, especially children, and wildlife from the toxic effects of coal tar.”

Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal said, “After 10 long years of fighting, I am thrilled that my bill to ban coal tar-based sealants is finally law. Coal tar is bad for our health and our environment. It poses a grave danger to fish and aquatic wildlife, as well as children and pets, who are more likely to be exposed to chemicals in coal tar that settle near the ground. It’s beyond time that New York follow the lead of other municipalities that have already abandoned coal tar in favor of safer alternatives, such as asphalt-based sealants. Thank you to the environmental organizations that fought alongside me for years to see this bill finally become law.”

Senior Manager of Government Affairs for Riverkeeper Jeremy Cherson said, “Thank you Governor Hochul for signing legislation championed by Assemblymember Rosenthal and Senator Sanders to ban the toxic and carcinogenic coal tar based pavement sealants. This harmful fossil-fuel based product is applied to driveways, parking lots, and even playgrounds across the state. These sealants enter our waterways, poisoning wildlife and tracking into people’s homes, putting children at an elevated risk of toxic exposure. I thank our elected leaders for prioritizing clean water and public health by finally banning this toxic product and transitioning New York to less toxic, readily available alternatives.”

Coal Tar Free America’s Thomas Ennis said, “I am grateful for the persistence of the bill’s sponsors and advocates. This bill represents the real, annual reduction of millions of pounds of toxins which affect our children and the environment. It truly is a benefit to all!”

Director of Clean and Healthy New York Bobbi Wilding said, “Coal tar is known to cause cancer. Coal tar sealants also release high amounts of toxic PAHs, which harm workers, and contaminate our environment. Simply put, these toxic chemicals don’t belong on our driveways or roads. Thank you, Governor Hochul, for signing this bill into law, and thank you, bill sponsors Senator James Sanders, Jr. and Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal for this important to step to eliminate harmful fossil-fuel based toxics from New York communities. This law will make New York cleaner and healthier.”

Conservation & Development Program Manager for the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter Caitlin Ferrante said, “Dirty fossil fuels and their toxic byproducts disproportionately impact New York’s most disadvantaged communities, as inferior fuels and materials contribute to greater rates of asthma, cancers and neuropathies. By phasing out the burning of grade 6 heating oil and banning the use of coal tar in paving sealants, Governor Hochul and the Legislature are keeping two of the most persistent sources of pollution out of neighborhoods that have historically struggled with finding affordable, less toxic alternatives. This is a good day for clean air and water, and a good day for New York’s communities.”

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The post “Governor Hochul Signs Package of Bills Prohibiting Use of ‘Grade 6’ Fuel Oil and Use of Pavement Products Containing Coal Tar” appeared first on Ecoshield Asphalt.

An excerpt:

Yarmouth has become the first municipality in Maine to ban the sale and use of coal tar sealant, which one conservation district commissioner likens to “toxic black paint.”

The Town Council approved the ban passed Dec. 16 ahead of a state measure going into effect Oct. 1, 2024. Yarmouth is the only municipality in Maine to pass the prohibition.

“The town felt that we wanted to be a little more aggressive in our enforcement of this new rule,” Town Engineer Steven Johnson said. “So we opted to do a local ban on the material sooner than that.”

Another excerpt:

“A black liquid sealant that is sprayed or painted onto pavement to improve its appearance, coal tar contains more than 200 types of a harmful chemicals known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. Several of those hydrocarbons are human carcinogens and are harmful to waterways and aquatic life, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Friction from car tires can cause the seal coat to come off in small particles, which are then washed off by rain and carried down storm drains and into bodies of water. The particles can stick to tires, soles of shoes and feet and be carried elsewhere, where they can also be inhaled, the Geological Survey says.”

Check out the full article here.

Do you know about any bans in your area? Want to know more? Check out www.coaltarfreeamerica.com, www.asma-usa.org, or www.ecoshieldasphalt.tempurl.host.

The post “Yarmouth Enacts Local Ban on Sealant Containing Coal Tar” appeared first on Ecoshield Asphalt.

On January 31, 2022, Luisa Wiewgorra with Fox 47 News, reported that Grand Ledge, Michigan has implemented a ban on coal tar sealants.

Here is an excerpt:

Grand Ledge has banned the use of coal tar-based sealants, following mid-Michigan’s Meridian Township and East Lansing.

“We wanted to do something with the PAHs before it became a problem,” said Tom Jancek, a member or the Grand Ledge City Council, referring to a group of chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. “And there are solutions now. You just use a different sealer.”

You can learn more about PAHs here.

Grand Ledge has banned coal tar as a pavement sealant, which means that contractors and retailers are not allowed to sell or use it anymore. The ordinance is meant to protect its residents’ health and the environment.

“Anytime you burn something, if you burn toast, you create PAH,” said Thomas Ennis, advocate and founder of Coal Tar Free America.

“If you’ve got coal tar on your parking lot, you will have high PAH is in your apartment,” he said. “You may say, well, that’s just the carpet. Well, that’s where our kids play…They’re constantly putting stuff in their mouth. And that’s what, that’s the way they experience their world. Well, they’re experiencing it in a pH rich environment. And it’s significant enough to increase their lifetime cancer risk 38 times by up for a child in those kinds of circumstances.”

Read more about the harmful effects of PAHs here.

Ennis said polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can be breathed in, ingested, but also get in our bloodstream if we touch them, which puts construction workers at high risk as well. According to Ennis, the solution is easy and not any more expensive than coal tar.

“Coal tar sealcoat is about 70,000 parts per million. Then asphalt sealcoat is about 50 parts per million. So, we’re talking about the alternative being, you know, 1000 times less in PAHs,” Ennis said.

Michigan’s Van Buren Township was the first community in the U.S. to ban not only coal tar, but high PAH substances, everything that contains over 0.1 percent of PAH. In mid-Michigan, coal tar has been banned by Meridian Township, East Lansing and now Grand Ledge.

“We get our water from the groundwater. So, the more that we can protect it, the better long term we are,” Jancek said.

Lansing’s Communications Director Scott Bean said that the city of Lansing and its contractors are not using coal tar sealants. However, there is no ordinance in place for private contractors.

“This is an issue we will be discussing with the Sustainability Commission to possibly make a recommendation on any future action,” Bean said.

Ennis said he gets “a lot of calls from upset homeowners who’ve put this down, and you know, they’ve got small kids, and then they realize, ‘Oh, my gosh, I don’t want to poison them. I do all this the right things for my kids. I eat the right things, I do the right things. And then I didn’t know this.’ Well, I think that’s the role of good government is to protect, protect citizens from predatory uses of toxic substances,” Ennis said.

See the full article from Fox 47 News here: Grand Ledge bans coal tar in sealants (fox47news.com)

Watch the report:

And, keep checking back with www.ecoshieldasphalt.tempurl.host for the latest updates.

The post “Grand Ledge Bans Coal Tar in Sealants” appeared first on Ecoshield Asphalt.

An excerpt:

People who lived next to coal-tar-sealcoated pavement had a 38 times higher risk of developing cancer, according to the U.S. government. Here in Hampton Roads, high levels of the associated chemicals have been linked to widespread fish cancer in the Elizabeth River.

A Northern Virginia delegate has now brought a bill targeting toxic sealants. The legislation, advocated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, would allow localities to ban them.

The post “Virginia bill targets toxic pavement sealants, which can cause cancer in fish and humans” appeared first on Ecoshield Asphalt.