Blogs

On July 23, 2025, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) announced the release of the Plan of Priorities, a multi-year plan that outlines upcoming priorities for the assessment of chemical substances. The Plan includes a list of more than 30 substances and substance groups prioritized for assessment and includes new or expanded activities to help assess, control, and manage risks posed by substances. ECCC states that in selecting and prioritizing these substances, considerations included:...

The Make America Healthy Again Commission (MAHA) draft report, released on May 22, 2025, was a spectacular mix of damning claims and interesting “facts.” They all relate to the horrific state of the American diet, manipulation by vested interests controlling Congress, co-opted food safety and drug approval regulatory agencies, with a literally sick population of children addicted to ultra-processed food, electronic screens, and drugs pushed by the medical establishment. The root cause of...

The National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) announced on August 7, 2025, an investment of nearly $32 million to five teams across the United States through the NSF Use-Inspired Acceleration of Protein Design (NSF USPRD) initiative. NSF states that the initiative “aims to accelerate the translation of artificial intelligence [(AI)]-based approaches to protein design and enable new applications of importance to the U.S. bioeconomy.” NSF...

On August 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) advised the public that it is withdrawing notices of intent to prepare environmental impact statements (EIS) for two petitions seeking determinations of nonregulated status for organisms developed using genetic engineering. 90 Fed. Reg. 40050. APHIS states that its decision to withdraw the notices of intent is consistent with its July 9, 2025, Program Update that as of that date,...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to announce publication of the 2025 edition of Guide to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), LexisNexis (Guide to TSCA). Guide to TSCA is the definitive comprehensive treatise on TSCA, written for lawyers, regulatory affairs specialists, and commercial and business people who need to understand the details of this law. The 2025 edition of Guide to TSCA was thoroughly updated, revised, and expanded by the lawyers, scientists, and regulatory...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on August 21, 2025, the availability of and solicited public comment on materials that are being submitted to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) for peer review on “Determining the Absence of Novel Proteins in the Saliva of Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes for Mosquito Control.” 90 Fed. Reg. 40829. The white paper, charge questions, background documents, and related...

On August 20, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) extended the postponement of the effectiveness of certain regulatory provisions of the final Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk management rule for trichloroethylene (TCE) to November 17, 2025. 90 Fed. Reg. 40534. EPA is postponing certain requirements most recently postponed in June 2025. EPA notes that these requirements relate only to the TSCA Section 6(g) exemptions in the final TCE rule. As reported in our April 15,...

On August 14, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of its Pesticide App for Label Mitigations (PALM), which is described as an “easy-to-use, mobile-friendly tool to serve as a one-stop shop that helps farmers and applicators use EPA’s mitigation menu to reduce pesticide exposure to nontarget species from agricultural crop uses.” According to EPA, this new tool will allow farmers to access quickly mitigation information from the final Insecticide...

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) announced on August 14, 2025, a WatchBlog item entitled “EPA’s New Chemicals Program Could Improve Safety If Better Managed” that examines GAO’s January 2025 report on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) New Chemicals Program (NCP). According to GAO, EPA assesses new chemicals using a 13-step process that includes an eco hazard review, a human health hazard review, and several other risks assessments. In its January 2025...

On August 1, 2025, Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) reintroduced the bipartisan Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act (S. 2654). According to Slotkin’s August 6, 2025, press release, the bill would “create jobs and create new markets for our farmers by strengthening the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred program, a program designed to promote the use of domestic biobased products.” The press release states...