The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a hearing on July 31, 2024, on “Understanding the Potential Environmental Impacts of the Chemical 6PPD.” The scheduled witnesses include:

• Katrina Lassiter, Program Manager, Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program, Washington State Department of Ecology (WDOE);
• Tracey Norberg, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA); and
• David B. Fischer, MPH, Counsel, Keller and Heckman LLP.

As reported in our November 3, 2023, blog item, on November 2, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted a petition filed under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to address the use of N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) in tires. Earthjustice filed the petition on behalf of the Yurok Tribe, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians and asked EPA to establish regulations prohibiting the manufacturing, processing, use, and distribution of 6PPD for and in tires. As reported in our November 16, 2023, blog item, USTMA announced on November 14, 2023, that it will partner with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on a research project “to assess and refine methods of evaluating potential alternatives to 6PPD for use in tires.”