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Environmental Step Forward
That’s a significant environmental step forward. The decision by the Eagan-based company to discontinue the use of coal-tar-based sealants aligns with broader efforts to reduce pollution and mitigate the environmental impact of coal byproducts. Coal-tar sealants contain high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can harm aquatic life and potentially impact human health when they enter waterways through stormwater runoff.
Jet-Black International said its franchisees in Minnesota and Wisconsin will switch to newly developed asphalt-based coatings by next year. The company also recommended that its franchisees in 10 other states switch.
"We are concerned that continued use of coal-tar sealants will lead to unsustainable and costly pond clean-ups at the expense of the citizens of Minnesota," the company said in a statement.
The company's voluntary switch is a victory for pollution control officials, who have campaigned to end the use of coal-tar-based sealants, long an industry standard. An estimated 85 million gallons of the sealants are sold annually.
"They are doing the responsible thing," said Tom Ennis, an engineer who works for the city of Austin, Texas, and tracks the issue on a blog called Coal Tar-Free America. "It is what we who have worked on the science have been waiting for. If the industry just looks at the facts and stops arguing, then real progress
Kudos
… coal-tar-based sealants
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