Coal Tar Restrictions: Is Coal Tar Banned in Your City?

Destructive distillation of coal produces two by-products. First is coke, a dark, porous, and brittle substance that resembles coal. 

The second by-product is a liquid called coal tar. It is thick and sticky and has a consistency similar to paint. It also has a glossy brown-black color.

When coal tar undergoes distillation, the result is a product called coal tar pitch. This substance has long been used as an asphalt sealer as it dries into a hard film. It doesn't chip or fade easily, and dries into a nice dark color many property owners love.

The problem is coal tar has been found to contain different carcinogens, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), naphthalene, and benzene. 

One-off exposure to coal tar pitch doesn't result in cancer. But people frequently exposed to coal tar and coal-tar pitch (such as sealcoaters and roofers) have a much higher risk of developing cancer compared to people who are not frequently exposed to this product.

Carcinogens from coal tar and coal tar pitch can also contaminate bodies of water and have been proven toxic to aquatic life. PAHs and dust from coal tar sealer can also cause poor air quality.

That is why several states, counties, and municipalities decided to prohibit the use of coal tar emulsion as asphalt sealer. 

If you live in or operate a sealcoating business in any of these areas, you will need to use Asphalt Emulsion Sealer rather than Coal Tar Sealer, due to local restrictions.

RegionStateZip CodesCoal Tar BanGovernment Use Only
State of CaliforniaCAall zipsX
DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup (Village of Addison, Carol Stream, Lombard, Bloomingdale, Woodridge, Downers Grove, Westmont, DuPage County, Forest Preserve District, Glenband Wastewater Authority, Conservation Foundation, Wheaton Sanitary District, City of Elmhurst, Naperville)IL60101, 60103, 60105, 60106, 60108, 60116, 60117, 60122, 60126, 60128, 60132, 60137, 60138, 60139, 60143, 60148, 60157, 60172, 60181, 60184, 60185, 60186, 60187, 60188, 60189, 60190, 60191, 60197, 60199, 60399, 60502, 60504, 60514, 60515, 60516, 60517, 60519, 60521, 60522, 60523, 60527, 60532, 60540, 60555, 60559, 60561, 60563, 60565, 60566, 60567, 60569, 60572, 60598, 60599 X
EvanstonIL60201; 60202; 60203; 60204; 60208X 
Glenview Park District - Park CenterIL60025, 60026 X
Highland ParkIL60035X 
Lake Forest CollegeILall zips X
Lake in the HillsIL60156X
McHenry CountyIL60012, 60013, 60014, 60021, 60033, 60034, 60039, 60050, 60051, 60071, 60072, 60081, 60097, 60098,60102, 60142, 60152, 60156, 60180 X
North BarringtonIL60010; 60011XX
Port BarringtonIL60010; 60011XX
South BarringtonIL60010; 60011XX
Spring GroveIL60081 X
University of IllinoisILall zips X
WilmetteIL60091X 
WinnetkaIL60093X 
WinfieldKS67156X 
AndoverMA01810; 01812; 01845; 01899; 05501XX
Commonwealth of MassachusettsMAall zipsXX
SudburyMA1776XX
WestwoodMA2090X 
AnnapolisMD20701; 21401; 21402; 21403; 21404; 21405; 21409; 21411; 21412X 
Anne Arundel CountyMD20711; 20724; 20733; 20751; 20755; 20758; 20764; 20765; 20776; 20778; 20779; 21012; 21032; 21035; 21037; 21054; 21056; 21060; 21061; 21062; 21076; 21077; 21090; 21106; 21108; 21113; 21114; 21122; 21123; 21140; 21144; 21146; 21226; 21240; 21401; 21402; 21403; 21404; 21405; 21409; 21411; 21412X 
Montgomery CountyMD20810; 20811; 20812; 20813; 20814; 20815; 20816; 20817; 20818; 20824; 20825; 20827; 20830; 20832; 20833; 20837; 20838; 20839; 20841; 20842; 20847; 20848; 20849; 20850; 20851; 20852; 20853; 20854; 20855; 20857; 20859; 20860; 20861; 20862; 20866; 20868; 20871; 20872; 20874; 20875; 20875; 20876; 20877; 20878; 20879; 20880; 20882; 20883; 20884; 20885; 20886; 20889; 20891; 20892; 20894; 20895; 20896; 20897; 20898; 20899; 20901; 20902; 20903;20904; 20905; 20906; 20907; 20908; 20910; 20911; 20912; 20913; 20914; 20915; 20916; 20918; 20993; 20997X 
Prince George's CountyMD20607; 20608; 20613; 20623; 20697; 20703; 20704; 20705; 20706; 20707; 20708; 20709; 20710; 20712; 20715; 20716; 20717; 20718; 20719; 20720; 20721; 20722; 20725; 20726; 20731; 20735; 20737; 20738; 20740; 20741; 20742; 20743; 20744; 20745; 20746; 20747; 20748; 20749; 20750; 20752; 20753; 20757; 20762; 20768; 20769; 20770; 20771; 20772; 20773; 20774; 20775; 20781; 20782; 20783; 20784; 20785; 20787; 20788; 20790; 20791; 20792; 20797; 20799X 
Albert TownshipMI49709; 49751; 49756 X
Ann Arbor TownshipMI48103; 48104; 48105; 48109; 48197X 
Byron TownshipMI49315; 49348; 49418; 49509; 49519; 49548 X
Charter Twp. of West BloomfieldMI48301; 48302; 483020; 48322; 48323; 48324; 48327; 48328; 48331; 48382X 
City of Ann ArborMI48103; 48104; 48105; 48106; 48107; 48108; 48109; 48113X 
City of DexterMI48130X 
City of YpsilantiMI48197; 48198X 
Clark TownshipMI49719; 49745 X
DexterMI48130X 
Erie TownshipMI48133 X
Fruitland TownshipMI49437; 49445; 49461 X
Hamburg TownshipMI48116; 48139; 48143; 48169; 48189; 48843X 
Kalamazoo CollegeMIall zips X
Lake Superior State University - Sault Ste. MarieMIall zips X
Laketon TownshipMI49445 X
Pittsfield TownshipMI48103; 48104; 48105; 48108; 48176; 48197X 
Powell TownshipMI48908; 49855 X
Scio TownshipMI48103; 48105; 48130X 
Spring Lake TownshipMI49415; 49456X 
Townshp of Grosse IleMI48138; 48183; 48192; 48193X 
University of MichiganMI48109 X
Van Buren TownshipMI48111; 48174; 48184; 48188X 
Village of AlmontMI48003X 
Village of ClarkstonMIall zipsX 
Village of PinckneyMI48169X 
Village of Saint CharlesMI48655 X
Village of ShepherdMI48883 X
Village of Wolverine LakeMI48390X 
West BloomfieldMI48322, 48323, 48324, 48325X 
White River TownshipMI49437 X
Whitehall TownshipMI49437; 49461 X
State of MinnesotaMNall zipsX 
BransonMO65615, 65616, 65737 X
SpringfieldMO65801, 65802, 65803, 65804, 65805, 65806, 65807, 65808, 65809, 65810, 65814, 65817, 65890, 65897, 65898, 65899 X
BooneNC28607, 28608XX
State of New YorkNY  X
Suffolk CountyNY00501, 00544, 06390, 11701, 11702, 11703, 11704, 11705, 11706, 11707 11713, 11715, 11716, 11717, 11718, 11719, 11720, 11721, 11722, 11724, 11725, 11726, 11727, 11729, 11730, 11731, 11733, 11738, 11739, 11740, 11741, 11742, 11743, 11746, 11747, 11749, 11751, 11752, 11754, 11755, 11757, 11760, 11763, 11764, 11766, 11767, 11768, 11769, 11770, 11772, 11773, 11775, 11776, 11777, 11778, 11779, 11780, 11782, 11784, 11786, 11787, 11788, 11789, 11790, 11792, 11794, 11795, 11796, 11798, 11901, 11930, 11931, 11932, 11933, 11934, 11935, 11937, 11939, 11940, 11941, 11942, 11944, 11946, 11947, 11948, 11949, 11950, 11951, 11952, 11953, 11954, 11955, 11956, 11957, 11958, 11959, 11960, 11961, 11962, 11963, 11964, 11965, 11967, 11968, 11969, 11970, 11971, 11972, 11973, 11975, 11976, 11977, 11978, 11980X 
Whitehall TownshipPA18052 X
GreenvilleSC29322, 29356, 29601, 29602, 29603, 29604, 29605, 29606, 29607, 29608 ,29609, 29610, 29611, 29612, 29613, 29614, 29615, 29616, 29617, 29627, 29635, 29636, 29644, 29645, 29650, 29651, 29652, 29654, 29661, 29662, 29669, 29673, 29680, 29681, 29683, 29687, 29688, 29690X 
Austin / Bee CaveTX73301, 73344, 78701, 78702, 78703, 78704, 78705, 78708, 78709, 78710, 78711, 78712, 78713, 78714, 78715, 78716, 78717, 78718, 78719, 78720, 78721, 78722, 78723, 78724, 78725, 78726, 78727, 78728, 78729, 78730, 78731, 78732, 78733, 78734, 78735, 78736, 78737, 78738, 78739, 78741, 78742, 78744, 78745, 78746, 78747, 78748, 78749, 78750, 78751, 78752, 78753, 78754, 78755, 78756, 78757, 78758, 78759, 78760, 78761, 78762, 78763, 78764, 78765, 78766, 78767, 78768, 78772, 78773, 78774, 78778, 78779, 78783, 78799X 
Edwards Aquifer AuthorityTX76883, 78828, 7880X 
San AntonioTX78201, 78202, 78203, 78204, 78205, 78206, 78207, 78208, 78209, 78210,78211, 78212, 78213, 78214, 78215, 78216, 78217, 78218, 78219, 78220, 78221, 78222, 78223, 78224, 78225, 78226, 78227, 78228, 78229, 78230, 78231, 78232, 78233, 78235, 78237, 78238, 78239, 78240, 78241, 78242, 78243, 78244, 78245, 78246, 78247, 78248, 78249, 78250, 78251, 78252, 78253, 78254, 78255, 78256, 78257, 78258, 78259, 78260, 78261, 78263, 78263, 78264, 78265, 78266, 78268, 78269, 78270, 78278, 78279, 78280, 78283, 78254, 78285, 78288, 78289, 78291, 78292, 78293, 78294, 78295, 78296, 78297, 78298, 78299X 
San MarcosTX78666, 78667X 
Reston AssociationVA20190, 20191, 20194, 20195, 20196, 22096 X
State of WashingtonWAall zipsX 
Dane CountyWI53508, 53515, 53517, 53523, 53527, 53528, 53529, 53531, 53532, 53558, 53559, 53560,53562, 53571, 53572, 53575, 53589, 53590, 53593, 53596, 53597, 53598, 53701, 53702, 53703,53704, 53705, 53706, 53707, 53708, 53711, 53713, 53714, 53715, 53716, 53717, 53718, 53719, 53725, 53726,53744, 53774, 53777, 53782, 53783,53784, 53785, 53786, 53788, 53790, 53791, 53792, 53793, 53794X 
GlendaleWI53209, 53211,53212, 53217X 
MilwaukeeWI53201, 53202, 53203, 53204, 53205, 53206, 53207, 53208, 53209, 53210,53211, 53212, 53213, 53214, 53215, 53216, 53217, 53218, 53219, 53220, 53221, 53222, 53223, 53224, 53225, 53226, 53227, 53228, 53233, 53234, 53237, 53259, 53263, 53274, 53278, 53288, 53290, 53293, 53295XX
ShorewoodWI53211X 
Washington DCDCall zipsX

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