Huron River Watershed Council seeks ban on coal tar driveway sealers

Coal tar-based pavement sealcoats pose numerous threats to human health and organisms living in lakes and rivers, according to a news release from the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC).
The HRWC is calling for a ban of the use of coal tar sealcoat in the watershed.
These products are applied widely on driveways, parking lots and even school yards as a pavement maintenance practice. Coal tar sealcoat contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs, several of which are known carcinogens and have been linked to defects and death in fish and aquatic insects.
Someone living near a surface sealed with coal tar has an estimated 38% greater risk of getting cancer than those who do not. Much of the increased risk occurs during early childhood. Children play on and near these surfaces and are, therefore, more likely to inhale or ingest PAHs associated with coal tar sealcoat.
In rivers and lakes, PAHs are found primarily in the sediments. According to USGS research, as much as 50 -75% of all PAHs in sediments within the Great Lakes region come from coal tar sealcoat. Organisms that spend part or all of their life cycle in contact with these sediments can experience adverse effects, or death, due to exposure to elevated concentrations of PAHs. Affected organisms include mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and plants.
Coal tar sealcoat contains 1,000 times the amount of PAHs than asphalt-based sealcoat, a readily available alternative. As a result, major retailers such as Lowe’s and Home Depot no longer stock coal tar sealcoat. Minnesota, Washington and the District of Columbia have banned the product along with a growing number of cities, towns and counties throughout the U.S. Washtenaw County no longer allows the application of coal tar sealcoat on its properties.
“When I learned about the health hazards and that there was a reasonable alternative, it just sounded like the way to go,” stated David Shirley, Interim Director, Office of Infrastructure Management at Washtenaw County.
“Coal tar sealcoat is widely applied in our watershed,” says Dr. Paul Steen, an aquatic ecologist with the HRWC. And it is making its way to our waterways.
“PAHs were found in sediments at Peninsular Dam in Ypsilanti at levels that exceed concentrations where health effects are probable.” As part of the solution, HRWC is raising awareness among residents, municipalities, and other environmental organizations and promoting actions that will eliminate the use of this contaminant in the watershed.
Executive Director, Laura Rubin explains, “We are currently investigating how wide-spread PAH contamination from coal tar sealcoat is in the area.”
HRWC will release more information as more is learned over the coming months. However, one thing is undeniable, Rubin cautions, “You do not want this material used at your house, at your neighbors’ houses, or on parking lots that you and your children walk on.”
HRWC is calling for all local government groups to stop using coal tar sealcoat on the properties they manage and issue ordinances that ban the use of high PAH content sealcoats on private property.
Residents can contribute by using safer alternatives like asphalt based sealcoats which have significantly lower PAH content. If coal tar sealed pavement is already in place, it is safer to encapsulate the coal tar with the asphalt sealcoat than remove the old product.
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About HRWC: Founded in 1965, the Huron River Watershed Council is Southeast Michigan’s oldest environmental organization dedicated to river protection. The Huron River Watershed Council protects and restores the river for healthy and vibrant communities. Contact Laura Rubin at [email protected] .