A group of U.S. lawmakers from the Pacific Northwest want to establish a federal task force to coordinate efforts to research 6PPD-quinone – a chemical used in tires that has been connected to mass mortality in coho salmon – and find alternatives.
“6PPD is a disaster for our ecosystems, our economy, and Tribal communities,” U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) said in a statement. “As we consider how to transition away from using this dangerous, salmon-killing chemical, we must consider important questions of science, consumer safety, Tribal rights, and species extinction as it relates to 6PPD. As the top Democrat on the subcommittee overseeing environmental justice and chemical safety, I’ll continue to sound the alarm on the very real threats posed by 6PPD and push for every effort to find a much less harmful ingredient for manufacturing tires.”
Tire manufacturers use 6PPD in production to slow degradation, however, the chemical transforms into 6PPD-quinone when exposed to air. Researchers have demonstrated that 6PPD-quinone can enter salmon-bearing streams via stormwater runoff and have connected the chemical to mass mortality among coho salmon.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched an investigation into 6PPD-quinone in 2023 and had previously created a cross-agency workgroup to study it. In February 2026, Congress authorized USD 6.2 million (EUR 5.3 million) in funding for research to reduce the impacts of 6PPD-quinone on salmon-bearing streams, slightly less than originally proposed by U.S. senators.
“Salmon are a way of life in the Pacific Northwest – Tribal nations who have stewarded the lands and waters since time immemorial and our fishing communities rely on the health and wellbeing of this keystone species,” U.S. Representative Emily Randall (D-Washington) said in a statement. “We know that 6PPD – a highly toxic chemical in our tires – is wiping out Coho salmon.”
If passed, the 6PPD Task Force Act would direct the U.S. secretary of transportation, along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to enter an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to establish the 6PPD Task Force.
“Rapid population growth in our region means more residue from tires (6PPD) and stormwater that pollute Puget Sound. This harms our salmon, violates tribal treaty rights, hurts our economy, and our way of life in the Pacific Northwest,” U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland (D-Washington) said in a release. “We cannot wait another two decades for the next research breakthrough. My bill sounds the alarm on 6PPD and brings all voices to the table to find short-term and long-term solutions.”
The task force would be charged with coordinating 6PPD research among federal agencies; research institutions; and state, tribal, and local governments. The task force would also recommend federal funding opportunities for research into 6PPD alternatives, the commercialization of those alternatives, and the impact of the chemical on salmon, the environment, and human health. The task force would include representatives from U.S. federal agencies, West Coast tribal governments, the tire manufacturing industry, “the environmental community,” state governments, and a university research institution.
“To help protect and restore wild salmon, we must find a way to reduce the magnitude of impacts from toxins in stormwater runoff. This bill will marshal important knowledge and practical solutions to strengthen the health of our rivers and their wild salmon,” Wild Salmon Center President and CEO Guido Rahr said in a release.
