Every time it rains, fish living downstream of storm drains are exposed to pollutants, including the tire-derived compound 6PPDquinone, in the runoff. Recently, this substance has been linked to massive die-offs of coho salmon across the U.S. West Coast. Now, researchers in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology Letters report that exposure to 6PPD-quinone at environmentally relevant levels can also be deadly for rainbow and brook trout, though not for Arctic char or white sturgeon. Rubber tires are fortified with protectants, such as N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-pphenylenediamine or simply 6PPD, so they can be safely driven for a long time. However, as the treads wear down and pieces flake off over time, small rubber particles scatter across roads. There, they react with oxidants such as ozone in the air, converting 6PPD to 6PPD-quinone, which washes into waterways along with the source tire particles in stormwater runoff. Previous studies reported that exposure to small amounts of 6PPD-quinone is toxic to coho salmon -- a popular fish among recreational fishers and an environmentally important species -- and likely caused the phenomenon in urban streams called urban runoff mortality syndrome. Conversely, another study indicated that zebrafish and Japanese medaka can withstand even very high amounts of 6PPDquinone. So, Markus Brinkmann, Markus Hecker, Steve Wiseman and colleagues wanted to see whether this contaminant poses a risk to a broader range of commercially, culturally and ecologically important fish species. The researchers exposed juvenile brook trout, rainbow trout, Arctic char and white sturgeon to varying levels of 6PPD-quinone. They found that even small concentrations, such as those regularly occurring in surface waters after stormwater runoff events, were fatal to brook and rainbow trout. For both trout species, the researchers observed an increased blood glucose level after 6PPD-quinone exposure, suggesting it affected the fish's energy metabolism pathways. However, none of the Arctic char and white sturgeon died after four days of exposure to a high level of the contaminant that was similar to the maximum amount previously observed in stormwater runoff. The results indicate mortality from exposure to 6PPD-quinone varies among fish species, but for animals that don't die, possible non-lethal effects could be occurring and need further examination, the team says. American Chemical Society The Sun Bay Paper Page 18 March 4, 2022 - March 10, 2022 Redistricting 60 Years After Shelby vs. Holder It has been almost six decades since "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, Alabama, when protesters were brutally assaulted by police in an act of defiance against voter disenfranchisement. This one event shifted public opinion and galvanized Congress to support and pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act contained provisions requiring states with a history of alleged discriminatory voting laws and low minority turnout to have changes in election laws federally approved. Section 5 of the Act judged which states and districts would be singled out and subjected to “preclearance". Passed right after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when Segregationist Democrats still controlled most southern states, voting laws in every southern state were put under federal scrutiny by the DOJ. While voter disenfranchisement existed in parts of the U.S. when the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965, within a few decades the states and districts subjected to preclearance became so socially and politically diverse, preclearance had become more of a punishment than an actual necessity. In 2008, with Barack Obama running for president, Blacks voted at a higher rate than any time in U.S. history. The Pew Research Center reported Blacks voted at a higher percentage than whites. An analysis of census data showed that Blacks were 12% of the electorate on Election Day 2008. In 2012, a record number of Hispanics voted and the Black vote increased to 13%, the same as their percent of population. The white electorate share has been in decline since 2000. With Barack Obama on the ticket it proved Blacks have a high share of electoral muscle, if they choose to use it. In 2013, Shelby v. Holder, citing the elections of 2008 and 2012, SCOTUS ruled that preclearance was unconstitutional since the South was being singled out unfairly, proven by electorate numbers. According to Justice Department data, the Attorney General received between 14,000 and 20,000 voting changes per year and over 95% of those changes affecting voting laws were ruled legal. Today, the South is the most politically, ethnically, socially and economically diverse area in the US. But since 2015, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL) a Black Caucus member, has pitched H.R.4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act to reinstate preclearance in the south. The bill dies in committee each session. After last year's record voter turn out, one would think the left's desire to resurrect "preclearance" is the new definition of insanity? If the Justice Department and the Courts agree there is no need to punish the south any longer, then why are the progressives still trying to reinstate preclearance? The left has feared 2020 since the Supreme Court ruled on Shelby v. Holder. Now they must face the music. Joe Biden may have won the White House, but the GOP won more key state races. And these in-state GOP victories will be paying dividends for over a decade after Biden leaves office. The census is a once-adecade chance to redraw voting districts and cluster like minded voters to account for population changes. This gives those that draw the maps the ability to maximize areas that favor their party; aka gerrymandering. This is what made the 2020 general election so critical. Both parties went into the election with a chance to draw congressional districts. And the GOP won big in the states. Republicans are set to control redistricting of 188 congressional seats, or 43% of the entire U.S. House. Democrats will have control of 73 seats, or 17% of the total House. A Pew Research survey in 2010 showed just 24% of those surveyed said they had more faith in the federal government to solve their problems than the states. A similar Emory survey showed that public confidence in state government was 68% higher than it was in the federal government. When voters are unhappy with Washington, they seek protection from local politicians. Since 2008, states have rebelled against federalism by giving control of their legislatures to the GOP. During the Obama years, Democrats lost more House, Senate, state legislatures and governorships than under any other president. That gave the GOP control over a number of swing state legislatures. As of January 17, 2022, Republicans had a trifecta in 23 states, and Democrats had 14. Only 13 states had divided governments where neither party held both houses and the governorship. This trend shows that as federalism expands, voters feel more secure with local state GOP leadership. America was built on local government. Yet the left believes big government is the answer. They use every tool in their bag of tricks, including accusing the GOP of voter suppression to win federal elections. While they manipulate the upper hand in D.C., the GOP is winning elections in the states. Mitch McConnell told us, "The map doesn't win elections." Those who complain about redistricting forget "maps" don't influence how people vote. With every neighborhood in America racially diverse today, it is impossible to disenfranchise any group, precinct or district in our nation. In some cases, district maps might give the upper edge to one party, but it is the voters who decide the elections. America is an entirely different nation today than it was in 1965, when the Voting Rights Act was passed. Most places where there was actual voter disenfranchisement don't have the same socio-political or cultural makeup today. And most claims about voter suppression or disenfranchisement are sour grapes by sore loser progressives with a dream to federalize every election in our nation. As Loretta Lynn said: "We've Come a Long Way, Baby," since preclearance. It proves the Court's ruling on Shelby v. Holder was a long time coming and we do not need to turn back the hands of time. Those who complain about redistricting this year will have a chance to change it in a decade. "Elections should be held on April 16th – the day after we pay our income taxes." - Thomas Sowell William Haupt III The Center Square Substance Derived From Tire Debris is Toxic to 2 Trout Species, Not Just Coho Salmon
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