Northwestern Tribal Nations claim the chemical is killing off local salmon.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that they will review the environmental impact of a tire preservation chemical. The review is in response to a petition created by three Northwestern Tribal nations in August.
The chemical 6PPD-quinone is used to preserve the rubber in automobile tires, and California’s Yurok Tribe and Washington state’s Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe and Puyallup Tribe requested the EPA review how the chemical breaks down in local waterways. The tribes wrote that one of the chemical’s byproducts is already recorded by the EPA as the second most toxic chemical to aquatic wildlife.
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Michal Freedhoff, “EPA is responding to our Tribal partners by taking action to protect the coho salmon, which are a key part of the Tribes’ cultural identity and economic security.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For EPA Administrator Michael Regan as he oversees the review into the toxicity of the preservative chemical.
- For EPA officials as they seek to protect the environment from toxic pollutants.
Sources: The Hill, AP
