US fishing groups sue tire manufacturers over 6PPD

San Francisco, California – Two US fishing groups have filed a lawsuit against major tire makers over their use of anti-degradant 6-para-phenylene-diamine (6PPD).

The Institute for Fisheries Resources and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations filed the suit against 13 tire makers through non-profit organisation Earthjustice on 8 Nov.

Tire makers named in the case include Goodyear, Michelin, and Bridgestone, said Earthjustice, noting that the manufacturers contribute to 80% of the US domestic tire market.

The complaint states that 6PPD in tires is “imperilling” the recovery of 24 populations of coho, Chinook salmon, and steelhead trout that are protected under a US endangered species act.

The substance can react with ground-level ozone, transforming into 6PPD-q which is claimed to be highly toxic to aquatic species, said the Earthjustice announcement.

In addition, the complaint also claimed that the use of 6PPD was “destroying fishing-dependent jobs up and down the west coast”.

“Tire companies are violating the Endangered Species Act by continuing to use 6PPD in tires,” said Elizabeth Forsyth, senior attorney with Earthjustice’s biodiversity defence programme.

The US Tire Manufacturers Association, which is working with authorities to find alternatives to 6PPD has warned that any “premature” prohibition on its use in tires could be "detrimental to public safety". (ERJ report)