Ban on Coal-Tar to Save Our Rivers

Starting this month, DC is banning the use or sale of coal-tar pavement products. Coal-tar products are used to seal pavement and contain toxic chemicals that are carried by rain water into the Anacostia, Potomac and Chesapeake. According to the DC Department of the Environment, coal-tar alternatives are readily available.

The ban was prompted by scientific research which found that dust from parking lots sealed with coal-tar products contained 80 times more toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) than those lots that are not sealed with the products. By not sealing these parking lots with coal-tar products, PAH concentration in storm water is reduced by 90%.

If you own property with pavement and you’re interested in sealing the surface, avoid any products with the words “coal,” “tar,” “refined coal tar pitch,” or “RT-12.” Property owners and contractors should avoid using products with listed ingredients including the words “coal,” “tar,” “refined coal tar pitch,” or “RT-12.”

Those who sell or use coal-tar products in the future will face a penalty of up to $2,500 per day.

The decision to ban coal-tar products was prompted by the Comprehensive Stormwater management Enhancement Act of 2008 that the Mayor signed earlier this year.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC User chipgriffin