Committee advances Steele’s Safer Sealant Act
Steele’s legislation would restrict the sale of sealants high in PAHs
Allegheny County Delegation March 19, 2024 | 11:38 AM
HARRISBURG, March 19 – Today, the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee advanced state Rep. Mandy Steele’s legislation to restrict the sale of sealants high in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and address the public health and environmental threats these toxic chemicals pose.
The Safer Sealant Act (H.B. 1166) would prevent the sale of sealants high in PAHs in a driveway or parking lot, and prohibit applications of a high-PAH sealant. Violations would result in civil penalties not exceeding $2,500.
“Today, we took a massive stride toward restricting toxic chemicals, such as PAHs, that threaten our communities, including the health of our youth and our environment,” said Steele, D-Allegheny. “One of my own children suffered health issues, which our pediatrician attributed to coal tar sealant used on my driveway. With more sealants available that are safer, we should not permit the sale of sealants with chemicals toxic to the health of Pennsylvanians or the environment. We must remove sealants high in PAHs from the market.”
In addition to banning the sale of sealants high in PAHs, Steele’s legislation would establish the Safer Sealant Fund within the Pennsylvania State Treasury, which would assist with the Department of Environmental Protection’s administration of the act.
The committee reported Steele’s legislation out of committee by a vote of 14-11.
While on the Fox Chapel Borough Council, Steele successfully led efforts to ban sealants containing PAHs in the borough and helped to ban the sealants in 20 other communities within western Pennsylvania.