Coal tar sealant is no longer legal to sell or use to seal pavement surfaces in Anne Arundel County and other parts of Maryland and the U.S.
Coal tar sealant is facing bans across the nation. The first ban was approved in Austin, Texas and since, many states and counties have implemented it. There is also Federal district ban against its sale and use in Washington, D.C. In Maryland, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties were first to approve the ban. In November, Anne Arundel County Board also passed the ban prohibiting the sale and use of coal tar pavement sealers – meaning more than 40% of Maryland’s population is now coal tar sealant free. PTG Enterprises is here with more information on what all of this means.think
What is Coal Tar Sealant?
Coal tar sealant is a (coal-tar-based) sealcoat marketed for the use of sealing and protecting pavement surfaces from inclement weather, chemicals and oxidation. It is commonly used commercially for parking lots, business parks, driveways, airport runways, recreational trails and more. Coal tar is a thick, black or brown liquid used in the sealant (sprayed on parking lots) that is a byproduct of the carbonization of coal for the steel industry.
Why is Coal Tar Sealant Banned?
Recent studies by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) indicate that coal-tar-based sealcoat is a major source polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in several urban areas throughout America, via stormwater runoff and other sources. According to USGS, PAH can cause cancer in humans and be toxic to aquatic life. The ban will minimize stormwater runoff of these chemicals to urban lakes and more.
What Will We Use Instead?
As an alternative, PTG Enterprises will be using an asphalt-based sealer instead of a coal tar sealer. Asphalt-based pavement sealers still do an effective job of giving your pavement that jet black look while protecting it from inclement weather, chemicals and oxidation. Cold-tar-based sealants produced a flat pavement appearance, whereas asphalt-based sealers produce a more textured appearance – which most consumers believe looks better in appearance.
PTG Enterprises: A Commercial Concrete Contractor in Baltimore
PTG Enterprises has been in the asphalt paving, concrete, and masonry business for more than a decade. We have seen it all before and we know the telltale warning signs of asphalt and pavement failure. And as a member of the Community Association Institute (CAI), National Facilities Management and Technology (NFMT), and Maryland Multi-Housing Association (MMHA) we are well-positioned to help you make the right financial decisions for your property or community association.
PTG stands out as an industry leader due to our methodology of pavement management planning: a systematic, long-term approach to managing and extending the life of your pavement. We will work with you to develop a comprehensive strategy to extend and maximize the lifespan of your asphalt and concrete surfaces.
If you have any questions about winter asphalt maintenance, please contact PTG Enterprises today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can also check us out on Facebook and Twitter.
