Blogs

The European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) published its final opinion on a new coating for titanium dioxide on October 25, 2024. According to the abstract, SCCS concluded that “there are a number of uncertainties and data gaps that do not allow a conclusion on the safety of titanium dioxide (nano) coated with a combination of w/w 6% Aluminium Hydroxide, 14% Sodium Myristoyl Sarcosinate and 10% Dimethicone (Eclipse 70) -- either on the basis of a similarity...

In October 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reviewed the following plants modified using genetic engineering to determine whether they posed an increased plant pest risk relative to non-modified comparators: SoilCea, sweet orange with improved resistance to citrus greening; Pioneer, corn with fungal disease resistance; GreenLab, Inc., modified corn to produce an enzyme that degrades cellulose and for herbicide resistance to...

On October 18, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2024-74 for the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) credit created by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). According to the IRS’ October 18, 2024, press release, the SAF credit ranges from $1.25 to $1.75 for each gallon of SAF in a qualified mixture. To qualify for the credit, the SAF must have a minimum reduction of 50 percent in lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG)...

There is much that happens in Washington, D.C., and in the states in the 76 days between Election Day (November 5, 2024) and Inauguration Day (January 20, 2025). My last post identified some of the unfinished business the 118th Congress needs to address (e.g., funding the government beyond December 20, 2024, passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and providing funding for disaster relief) before it adjourns sine die. The exact date and time of the end of the 118th Congress is...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) will hold its annual stakeholder meeting on November 14, 2024. The meeting will take place in person at the USDA Center at Riverside, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, Maryland, with an option for virtual attendance. The meeting agenda includes the following items: Program Highlights: An overview of BRS’ fiscal year (FY) 2024 successes; Regulatory Status Review...

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) New Approach Methodologies (NAM) Use for Regulatory Application (NURA) program has announced two upcoming webinars in the DyNAMic Discussions series. This webinar series invites speakers to share candid perspectives on how they have overcome barriers to apply NAMs in their fields and discuss how these examples can be used to promote the use of NAMs in other situations. November 14, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (EST): Next steps toward the...

The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) is organizing a series of National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) webinars on nanometrology, metrological challenges, and recent advances in three topical areas: food, agriculture, and the environment; nanoscale medical and pharmaceutical products; and nanoparticles in electronics. Registration is open for the sixth webinar in the series, “Nanometrology for Continuous and Automated Manufacturing.” The November 1, 2024, webinar will...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) announced on October 16, 2024, several key outcomes from a workshop held to develop a research roadmap leading to short- and long-term science-based solutions to meet the challenges posed by the discovery of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in agricultural soils and waters. ARS, its Center of Excellence for Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation, and the University of Maine collaborated during the workshop to...

On October 10, 2024, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) announced that, in collaboration with NovaMechanics, it is conducting a survey to gather insights on analytical methods for identifying, characterizing, and quantifying carbon-based nanomaterials in various matrices. According to EUON, the initiative “aims to assess the current situation about analytical methods for these types of nanomaterials, whether advanced or more classical nanomaterials.” Responses will...

On October 3, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of its progress report (Report) in meeting its performance measures and goals for pesticide reregistration during fiscal years (FY) 2020, 2021, and 2022. 89 Fed. Reg. 80558. Section 4(l) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) requires EPA to publish information about EPA’s annual achievements in this area. The Report discusses the...