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December 4, 2012

New Consortium Formed to Advance Biobased Products Policy and Regulatory Goals

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.

Washington, D.C., December 4, 2012 — B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C., an affiliate of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. and The Acta Group, is pleased to announce the formation of the Biobased Products Advocacy Consortium (B2PAC), an organization that brings together leading innovators in the biobased chemical, biofuel, and renewable energy fields to pursue regulatory and policy advancement. Companies working to produce biobased chemical feedstocks and products have heretofore been under-represented in a number of regulatory and legislative areas; B2PAC members now have a collective advocacy voice at government agencies and on Capitol Hill.

B2PAC’s focus issues include:

  • Regulatory Awareness and Relief — The application of models and systems originally developed for petroleum-based feedstocks can delay or impede approval of biobased products and in some cases prevent their commercialization. B2PAC will address these obstacles and work to gain regulatory relief through policy awareness, education, and advocacy.
     
  • TSCA Requirements — B2PAC helps members navigate the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) “new chemicals” pre-market review process and assists in determining whether a chemical will be reviewed as “new” or existing, and to address these issues early as part of the development plan for a product or process.
     
  • Legislative Policies and Politics — The consortium will advocate for provisions favorable to the biobased industry in the Farm Bill, the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, the Renewable Fuels Standard, and other appropriations. Consortium members will have a “ring-side” seat in this ongoing process and the political status of programs critical to them.

The article entitled “TSCA and the Regulation of Renewable Chemicals,” written by Lynn L. Bergeson, Charles M. Auer, and Dr. R. David Peveler and published in Industrial Biotechnology, explains in more detail how TSCA may apply to biobased products.

For membership information, contact Kathleen M. Roberts, or visit the B2PAC website, www.b2pac.org.