"WOODSTOCK – The paving industry closely is watching McHenry County as its officials consider a ban on toxic asphalt sealants commonly used on driveways.

The black, coal tar-based sealant is used on everything from commercial parking lots and residential driveways to playgrounds.

Government research suggests that the sealant is the source of a growing contamination problem, an assertion that industry groups deny.

Coal tar-based sealcoats contain high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, called PAHs, which have been linked to cancer and are toxic to fish and other aquatic life, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

A ban needlessly would hobble local businesses, said Anne LeHuray, executive director of the Pavement Coatings Technology Council, an industry trade group based in Alexandria, Va."

Brett Rowland reports for the Northwest Herald May 15, 2011. [2]