1. The Legislature finds and declares that creosote, commonly used as a wood preservative to repel insects and prevent rot and water damage of wood and wooden structures, is a hazardous substance, is recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a carcinogen and regulated as a restricted-use pesticide, and is composed of over 300 chemicals known to pose a threat to the environment and human health; that leakage of creosote from industrial and other hazardous waste sites and seepage from in-use creosote-treated wood have led to the contamination of soil and groundwater; and that ingestion of water, plant material, or animal tissues contaminated with creosote or absorption of creosote through the skin may result in skin irritation, chemical burns, convulsions and mental confusion, liver or kidney disease, damage to the nervous or reproductive systems, development of skin cancer, or, in extreme cases, death.

The Legislature therefore determines that it is in the public interest to prohibit the sale, use, and burning of creosote and creosote-treated wood products.

L.2007, c.113, s.1.