All Knowledge & Insights By Date

On August 12, 2026, the European Union’s (EU) Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) will officially replace the EU’s longstanding Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD). Where the PPWD provided member states with both regulatory and implementation flexibility, meaning that each member state could take a different approach to implementation, the PPWR brings harmonized standards across the EU. This change seeks to bring cohesion across member states to encourage a circular...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced on August 4, 2026, that it will begin an evaluation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Priority Testing List. According to the OIG’s August 4, 2026, memorandum, the evaluation is the result of an OIG Hotline complaint. OIG’s objective is to determine the extent to which (1) the TSCA Interagency Testing Committee (ITC) is updating the Priority Testing List every six months and (2) EPA is...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on July 31, 2026, that it is advancing its review of trans‑1,2‑dichloroethylene and 1,2‑dichloropropane under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) “by releasing draft technical support documents that explain how the agency estimates exposure to these common solvents.” According to EPA, “[e]valuating potential risks from these solvents is important because they are widely used in industry and may be present in consumer...

On August 7, 2026, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) announced that it will host a public webinar on August 18, 2026, “to explain how the public can participate in the state’s review of the PFAS Protection Act, which regulates per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer products.” As reported in our February 23, 2026, blog item, on February 18, 2026, the New Mexico legislature passed House Joint Memorial (HJM) 3, requesting that the New Mexico Environmental...

On August 3, 2026, comments by Ryan N. Schmit were featured in Inside TSCA’s article discussing Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform. Ryan Schmit, of counsel with the chemicals-focused law firm Bergeson & Campbell and formerly with EPA’s chemicals office, told Inside TSCA July 31 that TSCA “conversations are continuing, both on and off the Hill, but the exact timing of any next steps remains unclear.” Schmit added the Coalition for Chemical Innovations, managed by his firm,...

Reports on products containing intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are sold in Minnesota are due September 15, 2026. Any manufacturer of a product manufactured after July 1, 2023, that is sold, offered for sale, or distributed in Minnesota and that contains intentionally added PFAS must report.  A manufacturer includes the entity that produces the product, the entity that contracts production of the product under its brand or label, and the...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended its Emerging Viral Pathogen (EVP) Guidance for Antimicrobial Pesticides (Guidance) in response to the mpox virus (formerly monkeypox), which had been considered to be a rare disease caused by infection with the mpox virus. EPA developed its Guidance in 2016 to address emerging pathogens. Under this Guidance, EPA provides pesticide registrants with a voluntary “two-stage process to enable use of certain EPA-registered disinfectant...

The U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published on August 6, 2026, a temporary final rule (the Rule) titled “DPAS Directive Allocation Order and Additional Requirements for Recoverable Critical Minerals and Materials” to restrict the exportation of black mass and tungsten waste and scrap. According to BIS, “this temporary rule is necessary to immediately secure the supply of certain recoverable [critical minerals and materials] CMMs to ensure an adequate...

The federal district court presiding over National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors v. Feldon has issued a new scheduling order that provides insight into the next phase of the groundbreaking challenge against Oregon’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law. Following a five-day bench trial in July and the parties' post-trial briefings, filed on July 31, 2026, Judge Michael H. Simon concluded that oral argument is unnecessary. Instead, the court has requested supplemental briefing on...

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Susanna W. Blair, Senior Director of Regulatory and Technical Affairs for the Consumer Brands Association (CBA), which represents the interests of the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) community. Having left the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after a distinguished career as a senior scientist and policy expert, Dr. Blair is putting her science policy chops to good use at CBA. We discuss CBA’s mission, its focus on food and...