REDMOND, Wash. — Americans, especially children, are at increased risk of cancer thanks to a parking lot sealant that is perfectly legal, despite being made of a component that has been tied to cancer for hundreds of years, according to a report issued today by msnbc.com and InvestigateWest.
The report cites recent research that shows toxic chemicals arising at alarming levels inside homes near parking lots treated with coal tar, a waste product of steel manufacturing that the federal government allows to be used as a sealant, according to a report Tuesday on msnbc.com by Robert McClure, chief environmental correspondent of InvestigateWest.
McClure found that a previously unreported federal study raises serious health questions about the use of the material.
“Citizens across the U.S. are living near toxins that could be having a direct impact on their lives, and their children’s lives. This investigation will bring needed attention to this crucial public health issue and hopefully will bring about needed change,” said Rita Hibbard, executive director and editor of InvestigateWest.
Read the complete story here.
Hibbard and McClure are available for telephone and in-person interviews. Contact Hibbard at rhibbard@invw.org or 425-772-1675.
McClure can be reached at rmcclure@invw.org, or 206-718-0340.
InvestigateWest is a nonprofit investigative news organization based in Seattle that focuses on environmental, health and social justice reporting.