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more_legal_areas creosoteDue to numerous hazards associated with the use of creosote, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has enforced regulations on the material, making it a restricted-use pesticide. Under these regulations, only people licensed to use pesticides can apply creosote or handle creosote-treated wood.
Listed by the EPA as a hazardous waste, creosote is a coal tar derivative containing more than 300 chemicals. Workers exposed to creosote have reported skin irritation, chemical burns of the eyes, respiratory problems and other ill effects. Creosote regulations have been put into place to protect workers from the dangers of creosote, which may also include cancer.
Creosote is most commonly used as a wood preservative. Workers most likely to be exposed on the job include utility workers, deck and boat builders, and dock workers. Creosote regulations have been imposed to protect these and other workers who may come into contact with creosote on a regular basis.
In addition to EPA regulations, various states have imposed their own regulations on the use of creosote and other hazardous materials. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, for example, prohibits the use of wood containing creosote that has not been dried for at least three months after application. Despite these regulations, in August 2004, New York Governor Pataki vetoed a bill banning all creosote use statewide. The bill would have also banned the burning of creosote-treated wood except in state-approved incinerators, and required creosote-treated wood products to be disposed of in lined landfills to reduce the risk of groundwater contamination. To date, there are no regulations defining where creosote-treated products should be disposed.
Creosote is only used commercially; it has no recorded residential uses. For this reason, any regulations imposed on the usage of creosote are designed for commercial purposes only. Still, creosote-treated railroad ties are often used to landscape residences. Although there are no regulations barring these from use outside the home, homeowners are cautioned that health risks associated with creosote-treated products do apply to railroad ties as well. The EPA warns that handling precautions must be taken by anyone who comes into contact with any type of creosote-treated wood.
The EPA continues to investigate the risks associated with creosote exposure. The organization is still undergoing a six-phase public participation review process to reassess the chemical''s hazardous properties and debate the imposition of regulations. In 2003, the European Union imposed regulations banning the use of all hazardous materials, including creosote, in the wood-treating process. Despite this and all other indications of the dangers of creosote, the United States has yet to follow suit.
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...