Cynthia Walter

Feb 10, 2026 To: NH House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee From: Cynthia Walter, Ph.D. cawalter22@gmail.com Re: HB 1614 I have taught toxicology for 35 years and know the harm from exposure to PAHs from Coal Tar sealant. Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs) are well known as very harmful, with established links to cancer, impaired immune system and respiratory distress, especially for the many people with asthma, and other respiratory illnesses. When my husband and I worked on our asphalt driveway, we had no trouble finding driveway materials without Coal Tar at good prices in big box stores. We could literally and mentally breathe easy, and our grandkids could visit that day. We need this law because we could not enjoy our yard if our neighbors accidently used Coal Tar sealant, due to fumes. Also, they would unknowingly harm themselves, especially their young children. Most people do not have the chemical training to recognize if a product will release too much of the many PAH compounds. The general public cannot easily distinguish between different kinds of warning statements among the hundreds of products in home repair stores. Finally, workers bear the most harm from Coal Tax sealants with PAHs. They cannot practically protect themselves. Studies show that many masks and gloves can actually increase inhalation uptake and dermal absorption of toxics during manual labor. Most workers do not wear masks or gloves and NIOSH researchers reported concentrations of toxics from PAHs in Coal Tar far above safety limits. 1 Also, the PAHs enter surface and groundwaters that are our major sources of drinking water for public and private wells. If we pass this bill, we would see PAHs decline in sediments, as other areas have seen after their ban. 2 Please move this bill forward. The fiscal note is very small (<$10,000) and worth it for safer air and water quality. Footnotes: 1. Mcormick et al, 2020 Exposure Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Refined Coal Tar Sealant Applications https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438463922000542 “Last day post-shift 54 urinary concentrations of 1-hydroxypyrene greatly exceeded the ACGIH BEI benchmark of 2.5 µg/L in 25 of 26 samples, which suggests occupational exposure and risk of genotoxicity.” 2. Metre and Mahler 2014. PAH Concentrations in Lake Sediment Decline Following Ban on Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealants in Austin, Texas Environmental Science & Technology Vol 48 (13)