EPA Issues Advance Notice To Protect Salmon From Toxic Chemicals

Washington, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to gather information on the potential risks associated with the chemical 6PPD and its transformation product, 6PPD-quinone or 6PPD-Q.

The Puyallup Tribe of Indians, the Yurok Tribe, and the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe submitted a petition asking EPA to establish regulations prohibiting the manufacturing, processing, use and distribution of 6PPD in tires. EPA granted this petition in November 2023 and committed to publishing an ANPRM by Fall 2024 in order to gather more information that could be used to inform a subsequent regulatory action.

"Salmon are a keystone species and research shows that the 6PPD-Q chemical which runs off from vehicle tires into our waterways is lethal to their survival, and our marine ecosystem," said Strickland. "As co-chair of the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus, I have secured funding to find solutions to this problem, and the U.S. EPA is taking an important step forward to help us."

"Toxic stormwater runoff is one of the biggest threats facing Puget Sound salmon recovery," said Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06). "I am grateful that the EPA has been responsive to the petition filed by Tribes from across our region who are helping to lead the effort to better understand how 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone get into our waterways, how they impact our environment and our health, and how we can get these chemicals out of local ecosystems. We have an obligation to protect salmon in the Pacific Northwest in order to honor the federal government's trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribes in the region. I am excited that the EPA is moving forward with this rulemaking as an important step toward salmon recovery."

"Today, we're following through on the commitment we made to our Tribal partners to gather more information about this chemical used in rubber products to help protect coho salmon," said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. "We'll use the information we get on the health and environmental risks to determine next steps to protect people and the planet."

The chemical 6PPD has been used in motor vehicle tires for more than six decades to make them more durable and can also be found in other rubber products such as footwear, synthetic turf infill and playgrounds. 6PPD reacts with pollution in the air to form a transformation product called 6PPD-Q, which may be present in stormwater runoff that may be washed into streams and other bodies of water during rain events. As a result, aquatic organisms can be exposed to the chemicals. Concentrations of 6PPD-Q in stormwater in the Pacific Northwest were found to be lethal to coho salmon after only a few hours of exposure.

EPA is soliciting the following information regarding the chemicals:

1. Environmental effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems,
2. Potential human health effects,
3. Environmental fate and transport,
4. Exposure pathways,
5. Persistence and bioaccumulation,
6. Additional uses of 6PPD and potential releases from consumer products such as sneakers, playgrounds, rubber-modified asphalt, reused tire or other rubber products.

EPA is also seeking comment and information related to alternatives to 6PPD, as well as potential chemical transformation products associated with potential alternatives.

For example, there are data showing that 6PPD-Q is toxic to fish, with coho salmon being the most sensitive species studied to date. However, there are still uncertainties about the potential impacts of 6PPD-Q on human health, as well as the potential for exposure from other sources of 6PPD-Q.

U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She is whip for the Congressional Black Caucus, a member of the New Democrat Coalition, and one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress.

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