Did you know that there are tens of thousands of tires in Puget Sound and its surrounding waterways? Some were illegally dumped, others were intentionally sunk, and still others were used for engineering purposes, like shoreline revetments.
Read the full story below, written by Puget Soundkeeper’s Communications Manager Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone.
Photo: Tires used as an embankment along the Duwamish River. Courtesy Puget Soundkeeper
Did you know that there are tens of thousands of tires in Puget Sound and its surrounding waterways? Some were illegally dumped, others were intentionally sunk, and still others were used for engineering purposes, like shoreline revetments.
The Washington Department of Natural Resources is poised to remove up to 14,969 1970s- and 1980s-era sunken tires from a total of 12.51 acres in Puget Sound’s subtidal zone. These tires were originally intended to create artificial reefs. Removals will take place at four State-owned Aquatic Lands sites: Tolmie State Park, Burfoot County Park, Frey Cove County Park in Thurston County, and Case Inlet in Mason County.
What might have seemed like a good idea—innovative, even—40 years ago has turned into a costly and challenging cleanup process. Removing waste tires from our environment is an important step toward addressing and eventually controlling the presence of 6PPD-quinone in our waterways.
Tires and 6PPD-quinone
Every day, rain or shine, toxic pollutants collect on our streets. These pollutants include microplastics, heavy metals from industrial runoff, excessive nutrients from lawn fertilizers, trash, tire particles, and other sources.
Local waterways often act as drainage for urban areas and when it rains, pollutants are washed into our waters. All pose environmental and public health threats, but in 2020 local researchers identified 6PPD-quinone from tire particles as the specific chemical killing coho.
This chemical derives from 6PPD, a standard tire preservative, when it interacts with sunlight and air. 6PPD prolongs the life of a tire and research is underway in the tire manufacturing industry to find an alternative preservation method.
Photo: Salmon in Longfellow Creek, where Puget Soundkeeper tracks coho salmon mortality. Courtesy Tom Reese.
Public Health Concerns
Chemicals tend to be approved for use in our homes, on our food, and throughout the ecosystem before they're shown to be safe. In fact, our systems often allow chemicals to be used even after they're shown to cause harm, like lead, PCBs, and PFAS.
6PPD was recently designated as a priority chemical under Washington’s Safer Products for WA program and Toxic Pollution law. Safer Products for WA works to reduce the use of toxic chemicals in consumer products through restrictions, replacements, and pathways to keep chemicals out of the environment. Aligning 6PPD under this program means that the Department of Ecology can start its multi-phase regulatory process.
Tracking Waste Tires
Washington State deals with about 100,00 tons of waste tires annually, and many of these tires are illegally dumped in our waterways.
Puget Soundkeeper became concerned about this issue after researching the secondary tire market. Tire rubber has many common secondary uses, like boat bumpers and turf for horse tracks. Secondary markets, extended use, and reuse often help reduce our waste footprint. But tire rubber continues to leak 6PPD-quinone into the environment as long as it remains exposed to air and sunlight.
Washington lawmakers and agencies need more information about the secondary tire market in our state. Soundkeeper and our partners worked together during the 2024 legislative session to help secure funding for further study. This includes $300,000 to support the Department of Ecology’s review of waste tires in Washington:
Where these tires go after they come off vehicles
The current market for waste tires
State policies that impact this market
A description of which sectors and regions waste tires end up in
Alternatives to using tire-derived rubber.
Soundkeeper was also able to work with Kenmore Air to successfully advocate for $300,000 in funding toward removing tire bumpers on floatplane docks on salmon-bearing waterways. This money will be administered by the Department of Natural Resources and will help reduce 6PPD-quinone point source pollution by supplementing existing tire removal.
Legacy Debris
Car tires are a great example of “legacy debris,” or large debris that stays in the environment for a long time. Legacy debris can also include things like appliances, tires, fishing gear, and construction waste. Legacy tire debris is often embedded in mud or other sediment. It can be difficult and dangerous to remove large debris, especially when it is embedded in sensitive habitat areas and/or toxic sediment.
Puget Soundkeeper’s Salmon & Legacy Debris project, funded through a Washington Department of Ecology Public Participation Grant, deals with tires and other legacy debris in the Duwamish and Green River. Do you want to learn about legacy debris in your neighborhood? Check out our map, and report pollution. Need support disposing of tires? We compiled a list of helpful resources, including licensed waste haulers.
From Anna Bachmann, Salmon & Legacy Debris project manager and Puget Soundkeeper Clean Water Program Director: “Legacy debris reminds us of a time when we treated our rivers like dumping grounds. Now, we have an opportunity to remedy that relationship by cleaning up the river and protecting it for generations to come.”
Our neighborhoods and ecosystems should be healthy places to live, and our public spaces should be free of toxic pollution. Join us as we remove legacy debris today, for a more resilient future.
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