‘It’s toxic,’ officials warn over common driveway product – you’ll be fined $250 if you don’t get rid of it by July 1 | 7A8E9MV | 2024-05-10 12:08:01
'It's toxic,' officials warn over common driveway product – you'll be fined $250 if you don't get rid of it by July 1 | 7A8E9MV | 2024-05-10 12:08:01
A DANGEROUS chemical commonly found in driveway sealers is getting banned in after research proves it's dangerous.
Contractors and homeowners should beware, as the use of the chemical can result in a hefty fine.
Lawmakers in Virginia successfully banned the use of pavement sealant containing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) commonly found in coal tar, according to state House Bill 985.
Tar is largely used to reseal driveways, sidewalks, and roads.
As of July 1, products containing the chemicals are banned from use within the state, as research found it leaked into the environment.
As it's applied to cracks in the pavement, dust is kicked up by wind, washed away by rainwater, or knocked loose by car tires – passing the PAHs into the surrounding landscape.
The leaching of the chemicals posed a significant danger to people, the land, and animals, says Joe Wood, the senior scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
"PAHs are definitely toxic. There really isn't a question about that," he told the Virginia Mercury.
"When organisms — whether oysters, mice, or fish — are exposed to these products in research studies, they have caused negative health effects."
Michael Jones, the owner of Jones Striping and Sealcoating LLC, was in full support of the ban.
He told the outlet that after switching to an environmentally friendly alternative, his workers noticed a difference in general health.
"We learned, of course, first hand, that [the coal tar] is toxic, and it does burn the skin also," said Jones during a committee testimony in February.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> "We [switched] because of the health of our clients' employees and of course protecting the environment."
Stores are prohibited from selling products with the chemicals, which some say will harm small businesses that rely on the sales.
"We're concerned that small businesses across Virginia will get snarled by these violations and penalties and not have anywhere to turn to remedy that situation," said Alex Thorup, a lobbyist for the Pavement Coating Technology Council.
The United States Geological Survey found that dangerous levels of PAH dust were even found in homes, posting danger to those inside them.
</div> </div> There are alternatives, the agency said, and the best is asphalt emulsion.
It's a mix of asphalt, water, and soap.
"Asphalt and asphalt-based seal coat products have much lower concentrations of PAHs," the agency said in a statement.
The agency also found that those living near coal tar sealants were nearly 40% more likely to develop cancer as opposed to those that live near pavement without PAH-laden sealants.
PAHs were also found in the Elizabeth River, which creates a "plausible link" to cancer found in killifish, the agency said.
THE BILL'S ROLE
While stores are prohibited from selling the product after July 1, all stores with sealants containing the chemicals can sell the inventory they have.
After all items are sold, selling additional items would result in a $250 penalty, and collected penalty revenue would go back into the Environmental Emergency Response Fund.
For business owners like Jones, the change won't have an effect after he switched to an alternative product a few years back.
"The quality is the same if not better," he said.
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