PSF applauds federal decision to assess chemical linked to coho deaths
The federal government will prioritize environmental assessment of a tire chemical linked to coho salmon deaths, an important first step towards regulating this toxin.
This decision from Environment and Climate Change Canada follows a formal request submitted by Ecojustice on behalf of Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF), Raincoast Conservation Foundation, and Watershed Watch Salmon Society in April to assess the toxicity of the tire toxin.
6PPD in tires and other products forms a by-product called 6PPD-quinone that washes into salmon-bearing streams during rainfall events. Researchers have determined that 6PPD-quinone can be lethal for coho salmon and can also harm Chinook salmon and rainbow and steelhead trout.
“On behalf of the Pacific Salmon Foundation, I thank the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada for making the decision to review 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone, a critical first step in protecting our wild salmon from this tire chemical known to kill coho salmon,” says Michael Meneer, CEO and President, PSF. “I recently attended a meeting with a network of 120 community and First Nations partners who have been monitoring this chemical and its impact on salmon survival for years and are actively looking at solutions to mitigate its impacts. This decision is an important first step to protect Pacific salmon and our environment from this toxic chemical.”
