The Facts About Asphalt
Asphalt pavement
Asphalt pavement is the mixture of liquid asphalt cement and aggregate (rock, natural, and recycled substances).
Liquid asphalt cement
Liquid asphalt cement is the material in pavement that coats and binds the mix of aggregate. Itís a thermoplastic, a substance thatís hard at normal highway temperatures but thick and sticky when heated.
Liquid asphalt cement and asphalt pavement are NOT tar
Tar has not been used in paving mixtures since 1970.
Asphalt is NOT a toxic environmental hazard
Asphalt is insoluble and does not react with water. Its use is not limited to roads. As an example, hot mix asphalt has been used to line surfaces of fish hatchery ponds and community water reservoirs. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has used hot mix asphalt liners in its reservoirs for over forty years.
Hot mix asphalt is COMPLETELY RECYCLABLE
Repaving an existing road begins by milling the upper asphalt surface, then adding that material to the new mix at an asphalt facility. Asphalt pavement is the most widely recycled product in the country, in tonnage and percentage.
Hot mix asphalt facilities are not large emissions sources
Emissions have decreased almost 98% from hot mix asphalt-related facilities over the last forty years, despite a 250% increase in production over that same time period. The decrease in emissions led to the Environmental Protection Agency's delisting of such facilities from the standards and requirements that govern similar facilities.
Hot mix asphalt facilities must comply with and be regulated by air permits
The facilities must maintain extensive records that demonstrate compliance with all regulations, and failure to comply with operating permit conditions results in fines and possible facility shut down.
Hot mix asphalt facilities do not generate industrial waste water
Water is not required for the production process, nor do the facilityís stack emissions contaminate groundwater.
