Commercial fishing groups sue 13 US tire makers over rubber preservative that’s deadly to salmon

By ED KOMENDA
The Associated Press

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — The 13 largest U.S. tire manufacturers are facing a lawsuit from a pair of California commercial fishing organizations that could force the companies to stop using a chemical found in almost every tire because it kills migrating salmon. Found in footwear, synthetic turf and playground equipment, the rubber preservative 6PPD has been used in tires for 60 years. As tires wear, tiny particles of rubber are left behind on roads and parking lots. The chemical breaks down into a byproduct, 6PPD-quinone, that is deadly to salmon, steelhead trout and other aquatic wildlife. The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association says work is already underway to identify an alternative to the chemical that will meet federal safety standards.