Environment Canada agrees to a priority review for chemicals linked to salmon deaths

OTTAWA – The federal government has agreed to prioritize environmental reviews for a chemical used in tire rubber that has been linked to the deaths of Pacific salmon.

The move follows a request from several environmental groups represented by Ecojustice, who shared a copy of a letter from Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault saying the government will add the chemical known as 6PPD to its priority list.

The letter, dated April 30, says the assessment will determine whether the substance is toxic or could become toxic under Canada’s Environmental Protection Act.

It says the assessment will inform the development of a proposed chemicals management plan, which will be published for consultation this summer.

The February request from three British Columbia-based groups cites a study published in Science, a leading academic journal, which found the chemical produces a breakdown substance that is fatal to coho salmon in particular.

Guilbeault’s letter states that the details in the request are “in line” with information Environment Canada is already collecting about 6PPD and its breakdown substance.

The researchers behind the 2020 study concluded that the substance, 6PPD quinone, was responsible for previously unexplained coho deaths for decades in Seattle-area watersheds.

The analysis showed toxic levels of 6PPD quinone after rain, indicating it was entering streams from roads.

The study found that 40 to 90 percent of returning salmon may die before spawning in urban watersheds with extensive pavement and other “impervious surfaces.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press