Fishing groups plan to sue major tyre manufacturers

Two fishing groups plan to sue US tyre manufacturers for using a chemical they claim can kill coho salmon within hours of exposure.

Tyre companies, including Goodyear, Continental, Bridgestone and Pirelli, use the chemical 6PPD to prevent their tyres degrading too quickly.

According to the environmental non-profit, Earthjustice, tyre companies have known for years that 6PPD is devastating to aquatic species but have failed to stop using it.

Earthjustice is representing the Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR) and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) in the lawsuit.

“This chemical kills the coho salmon that we need to restore damaged coho runs that were once abundant,” IFR/PCFFA Executive Director Glen Spain said in a statement.

“Coho salmon, which can no longer be harvested given their extremely low numbers, are already on the brink of extinction and 6PPD used in tyres has now been revealed as a major driver of these losses.”

The IFR and PCFFA plan to sue tyre manufacturers under the Endangered Species Act. Other tyre companies subject to the lawsuit are Michelin, Giti Tyre, Cooper Tyre and Rubber Company, Hankook Tyre, Nokian Tyres, Kumho Tyre, Sumitomo Rubber and  Tokyo Tyre.

A petition has also been submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban the use of 6PPD in and for tyres.