Sierra Club Illinois Statement on Passage of Toxic Pavement Sealants Ban in Cook County
COOK COUNTY, IL -- Today, the Cook County Board passed ordinance 23-5769, which eliminates the sale and use of toxic pavement products in all of suburban Cook County. Coal tar sealants and some other pavement sealants contain high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that pollute waterways and threaten the health of communities. Sierra Club members in Cook County advocated in favor of the ordinance, which was championed by Commissioner Maggie Trevor, and submitted over 250 comments to the Board to urge the commissioners to enact the ban.
In response, Barbara Hill of the Northwest Cook County Group of Sierra Club Illinois released the following statement:
“We applaud the Cook County Board for passing this ordinance. Cook County now joins the ranks of US communities representing over 47 million people that have passed bans on coal tar sealants to protect the health of their citizens and local waterways. Eliminating toxic pavement products makes it safer for kids to play in their communities, protects aquatic life, and keeps toxic PAH pollution out of our waterways.
“The passage of this ordinance also demonstrates the importance of local elections. Sierra Club proudly endorsed Maggie Trevor when she ran for Cook County Board Commissioner in 2022 and worked closely with the Commissioner over the past several months to advocate for this ordinance. The Cook County Board’s approval of the ordinance today makes it clear—in order to build environmental victories at the local level, we must elect champions like Commissioner Trevor who will support and promote environmental policies.”