Interest in PAHs increases at State Level

On January 8th, 2020, a bill proposal was put forward by the Water Quality Task Force to prohibit the sale of coal tar-based sealant products and high-PAH (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) sealant products.

This proposal is a direct result of the work that Sweet Water’s Science Advisory Committee put forward researching these toxins in 2016-17. The committee found that these pavement sealants are a primary source of toxic PAH pollution in urban areas due to their ability to be transported with stormwater runoff. PAHs are carcinogenic and harmful to human health and aquatic life.

Using this information, Clean Wisconsin began a campaign to ban these sealants in communities around Wisconsin. Currently, a variety of southeastern Wisconsin communities have bans in place, including Brown Deer, Elm Grove, Franklin, Glendale, Greenfield, Hales Corners, Milwaukee, Port Washington, Shorewood, Wauwatosa, and West Allis.

Sweet Water, being a non-advocacy organization, researches stormwater and water quality issues through its Science and Policy Advisory Committees, and makes the research available for other organizations and stakeholders to use in education and outreach. This type of research, now available for the Wisconsin legislature to consider, can help to improve water quality on a state-wide level.

You can read the recommendation, as well as the other recommendations in the package, at this link.