Tire Company CEOs Push Ahead with Global Research Program on Potential Environmental and Health Issues

Geneva, 12 February 2007 - The Chief Executives from leading tire companies in North America, Japan, Korea and Europe met 9 February 2007 in Los Angeles to review progress and set a forward-looking agenda for their global research program dealing with potential environmental and health impacts of their products.

At their last meeting in Geneva in 2005, the companies funded an initial USD 1 million independent research program to examine issues related to materials used in tire manufacturing and the impact of tire-wear particles generated during normal product use.

Working under the auspices of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), based in Geneva, Switzerland, ChemRisk, a San-Francisco-based risk assessment consultant, was retained for the initial work. They have now completed scoping work on these two topics, working in close cooperation with DIK (Deutsches Institut für Kautschuktechnologie), the German Institute of Rubber Technology. The result is a multi-year research program to address gaps in existing information on these topics.

An independent assurance group, brought together by the WBCSD, reviewed the scoping work in October 2006. Members of the group include:

- Prof. John Spengler, (Harvard University School of Public Health)
- Dr. Raman Letchumanan (Asean Environmental Secretariat)
- Dr. Meshgan Alawar (Dubai Police Academy Research Institute)
- Prof. Michel Savy (Paris-Val de Marne University)
- Prof. Akio Morishima (Institute of Global Environmental Strategies, IGES)

Over the next 12 to 18 months, the companies will work with material suppliers to better understand the current potential and future risks for chemicals in tires and perform sample collection and characterization of tire-wear particles found in the environment. By late 2008, this program should permit a more precise risk assessment of both concerns.

By taking an early look at these issues, these companies want to understand more about the challenges they face and formulate an approach to making the industry more sustainable by better assessing and managing impacts from its products and processes.

Participating companies in alphabetical order include:

- Bridgestone Corporation
- Continental AG
- Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
- Hankook Tire Company
- Kumho Tire Company Inc.
- Group Michelin, Pirelli & C.
- Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.
- Toyo Tire & Rubber Company Ltd.
- Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.

Bridgestone, Goodyear and Michelin have served as co-leaders of the group’s work to date.

Representatives of the tire industry associations in Europe, Japan, Korea, and the United States also attended the meeting.

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Who is WBCSD?
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) brings together some 190 international companies in a shared commitment to sustainable development through economic growth, ecological balance and social progress. Our members are drawn from more than 30 countries and 20 major industrial sectors. We also benefit from a global network of 50+ national and regional business councils and partner organizations.
The WBCSD mission is to provide business leadership as a catalyst for change toward sustainable development, and to support the business license to operate, innovate and grow in a world increasingly shaped by sustainable development issues.

Who is ChemRisk?
ChemRisk® is a consulting firm providing state-of-the-art toxicology, industrial hygiene, epidemiology, and risk assessment services to organizations that confront public health, occupational health, and environmental challenges. Professionals on the ChemRisk® team have a long-standing reputation for thorough scientific analysis and for sharing results in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. Many of the over 200 papers published by scientists in the firm are frequently referenced in both litigation and regulatory decision-making.

Who is DIK?
The German Institute of Rubber Technology (DIK) is one of the worlds leading rubber research and development centers. The DIK is a non-university affiliated research institution with close ties to industry. The main roles of DIK are to perform: research into high-performance elastomers

- technological development in compounding and processing
- physical and chemical characterization of rubber and plastic composites
- improvement of service lifetime of rubber products and composites
- environmental and trace analysis
- supportive services to industry

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a coalition of some 175 international companies united by a shared commitment to sustainable development, i.e. environmental protection, social equity and economic growth.

Lloyd Timberlake
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
Communications Director
Tel: 41 (22) 839 3100
E-mail: timberlake@wbcsd.org

This release was published on openPR.