WOODSTOCK, Ill. – The final Talk and Tour presentation of 2025 aims to educate the public about the environmental health hazards posed by coal tar and other toxic pavement sealants.
The event, “Keeping Children Safe from Toxic Pavement Sealants,” takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, in Conference Room A of the McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.Three guest speakers will discuss ongoing efforts to limit children’s exposure to sealants containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which can pose health risks to children – as well as inform the public about alternative products and solutions. The speakers will be:
- Cook County Commissioner Maggie Trevor, who authored 2024 legislation banning coal tar and high-PAH sealants in Cook County;
- David Schuh, director of operations for Crystal Lake Elementary District 47 – the district has banned the use of coal-tar sealants since the potential health impacts on children and the environment were brought to its attention; and
- Illinois Department of Public Health Environmental Toxicology Section Chief Aaron Martin, and IDPH Environmental Health Specialist Aaron Burlingham, who will give an overview of the Illinois Coal Tar Sealant Disclosure Act, which requires public schools and licensed day care facilities to notify employees and parents prior to any application of a coal tar-based sealant or high-PAH sealant product.
The event is free, but attendees must register in advance online. For more information, email McHenry County Water Resources Specialist Scott Kuykendall at SHKuykendall@mchenrycountyil.gov or call 815-334-2863.
This is the fourth year of the Talk and Tour program, which was created in 2022 by the McHenry County Planning and Development Department and the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County. These workshops showcase the environmental and economic benefits of innovative best management practices that have been successfully implemented in our region. Each of the best management practices are designed to protect and maintain the integrity of natural resources, reduce flooding in communities, and promote land, water and energy conservation.
