Ban on Toxic Coal Tar Sealants

In a big legislative win, WEC helped secure the enactment of a first-in-the-nation ban on toxic coal tar sealants, a substance responsible for significant stormwater pollution and toxic contamination in lakes and waterways across the country. Coal tar is a byproduct from the use of coal in steel manufacturing. Cleaning up coal tar contamination is expensive: cities and businesses spend millions of dollars every year cleaning up contaminated sediments, including pollution from coal tar. This preventative measure protects Washingtonians’ health and reduces the need for cleanup spending.