House passes Steele bill to ban toxic chemicals in driveway sealant
Rep. Mandy Steele April 30, 2024 | 3:20 PM
HARRISBURG, April 30 – The Pennsylvania House passed a bill authored by Rep. Mandy Steele that would ban the use and sale of driveway sealants that are high in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, more commonly known as PAHs.
PAHs are found in coal, crude oil and gasoline. Because they do not break down naturally, PAHs are known to negatively impact people’s health and the environment. Particulates from PAH-based sealants often break off and are tracked into homes, which impacts indoor air quality. They also wash into waterways, contaminating the environment, and have been found to increase the risk of lung, bladder and skin cancers in both humans and pets.
“Not all driveway sealants are created equal. Driveway sealants that are high in PAHs – such as sealants using coal tar – can endanger public health,” Steele said. “The PAHs in a freshly paved parking lot or playground is what gives off that strong odor. With more sealants available that are safer, we should eliminate the sealants that are toxic to the health of Pennsylvanians.”
Steele’s H.B. 1166 would be known as the Safe Sealant Act and prevent the sale of sealants containing more than 0.1% of PAHs by weight after Dec. 31, 2024, and the use of them after Dec. 31, 2025. The Department of Environmental Protection would be able to levy a $2,500 fine per violation. It also would permit municipalities to pass even tougher local PAH bans.
While on the Fox Chapel Borough Council, Steele successfully led efforts to ban asphalt sealants containing PAHs in the borough and helped to ban the sealants in 20 other communities within western Pennsylvania. Additionally, many other states ban the use of coal-tar sealants, including New York and Maryland.
The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.