The Legislature recently held hearings on HB 2421 and SB 6119, legislation that would ban tires containing 6PPD, a chemical linked to acute mortality in coho salmon and other aquatic species, by 2035, and impose a new tire mitigation fee on tire retailers beginning in 2027.
For small tire retailers, who already spend approximately $35,000 annually to properly haul used tires, the proposed mitigation fee would add an estimated $180,000 in additional annual costs, potentially forcing many retailers to leave the state.
WR testified in support of a more holistic approach to addressing the environmental impacts of tires. WR emphasized that the proposed mitigation fee is avoidable if the Legislature instead dedicates existing funds from the Waste Tire Fund toward 6PPD mitigation efforts. In 2005, tire retailers worked with the Legislature to establish the Waste Tire accounts, and the fee was increased by 500 percent to $5 per tire in 2026.
Since then, the Legislature’s approach to tire-related environmental impacts has appeared inconsistent. More than $27 million has been invested in 6PPD-related research projects, including $20 million allocated in 2025 during a significant budget deficit. Meanwhile, the Legislature has not acted on a 2023 report it requested from the Department of Ecology that identified priority projects to address 49 waste tire piles statewide. Additionally, there has been no known investment in research examining the impacts of waste tire piles on soil contamination, fire risk, or public health.
