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more_legal_areas creosoteIn 1978, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) acknowledged the carcinogenic dangers of creosote to humans, a popular wood preservative. The creosote dangers were so serious that the EPA announced its intention to phase it out. The presence of creosote today still, despite the well documented risks that it poses is even more criticized because the 1978 EPA recognition of the creosote dangers did not come until more than 200 years after a London physician first discovered the high rate of cancer among British men who cleaned soot from chimneys.
Creosote is the name that is used for a variety of products, including wood creosote, coal tar creosote, coal tar, coal tar pitch, and coal tar pitch volatiles. Coal derived creosote is what has raised the most concern in recent years. Every year, 825 million pounds of creosote are used to in order to protect the wood from environmental breakdown and wood attacking pests. Creosote an be found on telephone poles, marine pilings, railroads ties, as well as other creosote treated wood in building fences, bridges, homes, and other places.
Exposure to low levels of creosote to long term, direct exposure has resulted in cancer. If mishandled, the creosote can get into the soil and groundwater, exposing people directly to the toxin. Once entering the groundwater, creosote can take years to break down. Towns surrounding wood treatment plants have witnessed enter populations becoming sick and dying, yet the often poor and rural neighborhoods it affected received little government attention.
The suspicious illnesses and early deaths that seemed to occur in towns exposed to creosote continued without government action despite centuries of knowing about the dangers of creosote, though some have continued to argue that creosote''s toxicity has still not been well established. Currently, Beyond Pesticides and 15 national and statewide public interest groups are suing the EPA in efforts to stop the use of creosote, which is described as having unreasonable adverse risks to pubic health and the environment despite less toxic and more economical alternatives available. The EPA, according to Beyond Pesticides, could easily order the cancellation of creosote and have the industry replaced it within the period of months.
Instead, the EPA has been criticized for the "unreasonably delayed" re-reviewing or reregistering creosote and allowing the wood treatment industry to experience a growth because of the inaction, only exposing more people, as well as the environment to the dangers of creosote. In 1980, Congress established the Superfund Program in order to locate, investigate, and c lean up the worst environmental chemical waste sites nationwide. Despite the efforts, coal tar creosote and two related wood preservatives have even been found in at least 100 of the most current EPA Superfund National Priorities List or state contamination lists.
During the winter months, many people will start trying to heat up their homes. Wood burning stoves has become a more popular way of providing heat, but there are ways of preventing creosote buildup by burning a hot fire for 15 to 30 minutes. In addit...