Seafood Source News
Spotlight on: US fishing groups sue tire manufacturers as EPA begins investigation
Two fishing organizations have filed suit against American tire manufacturers over a chemical linked to salmon deaths.
Manufacturers use 6PPD to prevent tires from degrading too quickly, but research has found that the chemical transforms into 6PPD-quinone when exposed to ground-level ozone. The resultant chemical can kill coho salmon and contribute to urban runoff mortality syndrome.
Environmental group Earthjustice is representing the Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR) and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) in the lawsuit.
“There is simply no excuse, now that the science is clear how toxic 6PPD-q is to fish, for the tire industry to keep using 6PPD,” IFR and PCFFA Executive Director Glen Spain said. “To keep using a chemical not only pushing valuable salmon runs toward extinction but also destroying fishing-dependent jobs up and down the west coast should not be allowed.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that it would look into 6PPD-quinone under the Toxic Substances Control Act after granting a petition from Earthjustice filed on behalf of the Yurok, Port Gamble S’Klallam, and Puyallup Tribes.
“This is a victory for salmon and all species and people,” the Puyallup Tribal Council said in a statement. “6PPD is a major and uniquely lethal threat to the health of salmon in urban streams on our reservation.”
Nathan Strout
Associate Editor
nstrout@divcom.com