I recently acquired a batch of old insulators from my local power utility here on the Oregon coast. Every one of them was contaminated by "green gunk" from nearby trees! What is odd is that the poles they came from were not really right in any trees. The nearest trees were about a block away! This stuff blows in the air and we breath it! Allergies anyone? Also, I assume this stuff is non conductive but add a little fog, rain and salt air and you have electrical leakage! Besides that, it's ugly!