By Lynn L. Bergeson On May 25, 2021, U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced the bipartisan Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Integrity Act of 2021. Aiming to provide more certainty to rural America, this legislation would require that small refineries petition for RFS hardship exemptions by June 1 of each year. According to Senator Fischer, the RFS Integrity Act of 2021 would ensure that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) properly...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on May 27, 2021, that it has invited environmental justice communities and stakeholders to participate in environmental justice consultations regarding the development of a proposed risk management action under Section 6(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to address unreasonable risks presented by N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). EPA will hold two identical consultation webinars, one on July 7, 2021, and the other on July...
May 28, 2021
TSCA Section 4 and Consortia Formation — A Conversation with Heather Blankinship and Richard Engler, Ph.D.
This week's All Things Chemical™ Podcast will be of interest to readers of the TSCAblog™. A brief description of the episode written by Lynn L. Bergeson is below. This week, I sat down with Heather J. Blankinship, Senior Manager with B&C® Consortia Management (BCCM), a Bergeson & Campbell (B&C®) affiliate, and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., B&C’s Director of Chemistry, to discuss chemical testing under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Since Congress amended TSCA...
May 28, 2021
Iowa Republican U.S. Senators And Representatives Call On President Biden To Uphold His Biofuel Prom
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On May 25, 2021, U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and House Representatives Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) joined forces in a letter to urge President Biden to uphold his promise to support biofuels in the next four years. Criticizing President Biden’s efforts under the American Jobs Plan for failing to include investments in biofuels, the...
May 27, 2021
Registration Opens for “TSCA Reform – Five Years Later,” an Essential Annual TSCA Event
A Timely and Essential Complimentary ConferenceWednesday, June 30, 20219:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (EDT)Register Now Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health are pleased to present “TSCA Reform - Five Years Later.” This complimentary virtual conference marks the fifth Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Annual Conference, reflecting on the accomplishments and challenges since the...
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On May 25, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the availability of up to $14.5 million in investments for research and development (R&D) to reduce waste and energy use related to the recycling of single-use plastics. As the largest subset of plastics found in landfills, single-use plastics, including plastic bags, wraps, and films, are also among the most challenging to recycle. According to DOE,...
May 27, 2021
Registration Opens for “TSCA Reform – Five Years Later,” an Essential Annual TSCA Event
A Timely and Essential Complimentary Conference Wednesday, June 30, 2021 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (EDT) Register Now Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health are pleased to present “TSCA Reform - Five Years Later.” This complimentary virtual conference marks the fifth Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Annual Conference, reflecting on the accomplishments and...
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), as part of the activities of the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON), is conducting a stakeholder survey on the substances available as nanomaterials in the EU market. The survey includes a market study of the nanomaterials, including substances, uses, volumes, and key operators in the EU. According to EUON’s May 21, 2021, news item, the survey aims to provide an overview of the substances that are available as...
May 25, 2021
EPA Responds to Petition Seeking RCRA and TSCA Regulatory Action for Phosphogypsum and Process Wastewater
On May 21, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its response to a portion of the petition it received February 8, 2021, from People for Protecting Peace River, Center for Biological Diversity, and 16 other organizations. 86 Fed. Reg. 27546. While the petition requested three actions related to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), EPA states that it has determined that only one of those actions is an appropriate request: a request to issue a test rule under TSCA...
Registration has opened for a June 8, 2021, webinar held by the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative on “What We Know about NanoEHS: Human Health.” The webinar will feature experts from diverse disciplines who will share their perspectives on key findings on the effects of engineered nanomaterials on human health. Janet Carter, Senior Scientist, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), will moderate. The panel will include: Leanne Gilbertson, Assistant...