Blogs

On January 14, 2026, Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the Renewable Chemicals Act (S. 3632). According to Ricketts’s January 14, 2026, press release, the bipartisan legislation “would provide a targeted, short-term tax credit for qualifying renewable chemicals or an investment tax credit for renewable chemical production facilities.” The press release notes that renewable chemicals are produced from biomass such as corn and soybeans and states that this...

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a final rule on January 15, 2026, extending the compliance dates in its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) (29 C.F.R. Section 1910.1200), published in the Federal Register on May 20, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 44144), by four months. 91 Fed. Reg. 1695. The May 2024 final rule adopts a tiered approach to compliance and includes two sets of compliance dates for chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors evaluating substances...

Do you know of a company that is innovating in ways that make chemistry safer, cleaner, and more sustainable? The American Chemical Society (ACS) is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Winning a Green Chemistry Challenge Award is not just an honor; it is a catalyst for visibility, credibility, and environmental impact. Since 1996, 155 organizations and individuals have been recognized for innovations that reduce hazardous substances, conserve resources,...

On January 16, 2026, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) posted docket materials related to the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board’s (NMEIB) February 23, 2026, rulemaking hearing on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer products. The materials include clean and redline versions of a revised proposed rule. The revisions would: Exempt pesticides regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) from the reporting and prohibition...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) recently published Forecast 2026 includes a deep dive into what stakeholders can expect this year regarding the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), excerpts of which are shared here. Policy shifts and uncertainties are expected under FIFRA and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the agricultural and biocidal area. ESA has been, and will continue to be, the most important issue affecting pesticide use and regulation in the...

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce posted a Hearing Memorandum on January 20, 2026, for the January 22, 2026, hearing entitled “Chemicals in Commerce: Legislative Proposal to Modernize America’s Chemical Safety Law, Strengthen Critical Supply Chains, and Grow Domestic Manufacturing.” According to the Hearing Memorandum, the Subcommittee on Environment will hear from the following witnesses: Dimitrios Karakitsos, Holland & Knight; Kimberly Wise White, Ph.D., American Chemistry...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) recently published Forecast 2026 includes a deep dive into what stakeholders can expect this year regarding the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), covering a comprehensive set of topics, including existing chemical risk evaluations and rulemakings, new chemical reviews, pending legal challenges, personnel and organizational changes, and much more. In the TSCA existing chemicals program, for example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)...

As the 2026 election cycle comes into sharper focus, Congress is entering a period of unusual transition. A growing number of Republican lawmakers as well as some Democrats have announced retirements, resignations, or decisions not to seek re-election. This reflects internal strain within the party and broader dissatisfaction with the pace and structure of congressional governance. While political realignments are not new, the current trend raises important questions about how sustained turnover...

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment will hold a legislative hearing on January 22, 2026, entitled “Chemicals in Commerce: Legislative Proposal to Modernize America’s Chemical Safety Law, Strengthen Critical Supply Chains, and Grow Domestic Manufacturing.” According to the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s January 15, 2026, press release, since the Committee’s “first hearing of this Congress, our Committee has been working to modernize the Toxic Substances...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on January 6, 2026, the availability of the final risk evaluations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP). 91 Fed. Reg. 373. EPA states that it “used the best available science to prepare these final risk evaluations, and determined, based on the weight of scientific evidence,...