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Leading tire manufacturers are making efforts to dismiss a lawsuit filed against them regarding environmental pollution. The legal matter revolves around a substance utilized in tire manufacturing, known to swiftly eradicate fish species commonly caught for nourishment, such as salmon. Essentially, the tire producers are claiming immunity as the substance takes a considerable amount of time to seep into fish habitats.
The lawsuit was initiated in a federal court in San Francisco, California, by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and the non-profit Institute for Fisheries Resources as reported by Reuters. It targets Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone, and 10 other companies collectively holding an 80 percent market share for tires in the United States.
These corporations, alongside other tire manufacturers worldwide, employ a substance named 6PPD in tire production to decelerate rubber decomposition. Nevertheless, tires still deteriorate, and mounting evidence indicates that a vast majority of oceanic microplastics originate from tires. The primary concern remains the fate of these particles (which can also contribute to smog) once they reach the ocean—or even the waters leading up to it.
A Bridgestone Grand Touring tire for EVs. Bridgestone
Over time, 6PPD interacts with the surroundings to generate novel compounds, one of which is 6PPD-quinone (often abbreviated as 6PPD-q). The Environmental Protection Agency indicates that this substance often surges into water bodies in substantial levels during storms, proving fatal to select fish species after a few hours of exposure. Key species impacted significantly include vital seafood like salmon and trout.
Various species of both fish are safeguarded under the Endangered Species Act, forming the foundation of the plaintiffs’ legal standpoint. They argue that the continual inclusion of 6PPD in tires breaches the act’s prohibition against inadvertent harm to protected species without federal authorization and has contributed to the drop in fishery populations. Notably, in a bid to conserve diminishing wild stocks, California entirely called off the commercial salmon fishing season in 2023. There’s a possibility of a similar cancellation this year as per Cal Matters.
A coho salmon caught in Washington. Chris Wilson via Getty Images
Bearing this in mind, the fishing associations demand that tire companies provide assistance to fish stocks and water systems if they intend to persist with the use of 6PPD. However, the tire manufacturers have allegedly moved to have the lawsuit dismissed, claiming they cannot be held accountable for the damage caused by 6PPD-q over “extended periods, in remote locations, following extensive usage and deterioration of said products.”
They further argue that the lawsuit bypasses the EPA, although the EPA itself might be on the brink of banning 6PPD entirely as per Earthjustice. Reports suggest that the agency has also received a petition for a ban from five U.S. states. This count excludes California, which reportedly urged tire producers in July to seek a safer substitute for 6PPD.
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