The Village of Westmont recently adopted an internal policy to make sure that no coal tar products are used for village municipal work projects. Coal tar is a product that can be used as a sealant for asphalt pavement. “We want to thank our Environmental Improvement Commission for leading this conversation,” said Public Works Director Mike Ramsey. “We now add language in our bid proposals that let vendors know that we will not use coal tar products when we make repairs to our streets and related infrastructure. Some communities have actually instituted coal tar bans for all work in the community because of the harmful effects on the environment.”
The Westmont Environmental Improvement Commission encourages citizens to consider not using coal tar products. A growing number of cities and states are banning the product outright, and many businesses do not sell these types of sealants in their stores. Residents may wish to take a conservative approach to risk mitigation by either selecting pavement sealants for self-application that are not coal tar based or insuring that any contractor being hired does not use one either. A listing of “CAS 65996-93- 2” on the ingredients label or Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is an indicator that the product contains coal tar and should be avoided.
Alternative sealants that are generally considered as safer for the environment and possibly human health are asphalt or latex based. Both are readily available at home improvement stores. For more information regarding coal tar, check this link:
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/coaltarpitchvolatiles/hazards.html
###
Contact: Larry McIntyre
Village of Westmont Communications Director
630-417-0280, lmcintyre@westmont.il.gov
---------------------------------------------------------------
