Blogs

Beginning January 1, 2030, any product containing intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may not be sold in Maine unless the use of PFAS in the product is specifically designated as a currently unavoidable use (CUU) by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP). MDEP is currently accepting requests for proposals from those seeking CUU determinations. Manufacturers may submit proposals individually or collectively. MDEP notes that these determinations will be...

On February 14, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an Existing Stocks Order for Dicamba Products Previously Registered for Over-the-Top Use on Dicamba-Tolerant Cotton and Soybean (Existing Stocks Order). This announcement was needed in response to the February 6, 2024, ruling by the U.S. District Court of Arizona vacating the 2020 registrations for over-the-top (OTT) dicamba products. EPA states this Existing Stocks Order “addresses use of the formerly-registered...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on February 22, 2024, the release of a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “Inflation Reduction Act Funding for Advanced Biofuels,” for up to $9.4 million for the development of advanced biofuels. According to EPA, the funding will support “high-impact biofuel technology projects to improve the performance and reduce the cost of biofuel production technologies, scale up production systems...

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced on February 22, 2024, that it received petitions requesting that caprolactam (89 Fed. Reg. 13400) and nylon 6 (89 Fed. Reg. 13399) be added to the list of taxable substances under Section 4672(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. AdvanSix Inc., an exporter of caprolactam and nylon 6, filed the petitions. The notice for caprolactam states: According to the petition, caprolactam, a white solid, is primarily used to manufacture nylon...

On February 7, 2024, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator Michal Freedhoff announced the steps EPA is taking to incorporate stakeholder feedback and collaborate with other federal agencies on its requirement to comply with the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as part of the registration process, EPA must comply with ESA to ensure pesticides do not harm endangered species or their critical...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on February 20, 2024, that it has released the latest Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory. According to EPA, “[t]his biannual update to the public TSCA Inventory is part of EPA’s regular posting of non-confidential TSCA Inventory data.” EPA plans the next regular update of the Inventory for summer 2024. EPA states that the TSCA Inventory contains 86,741 chemicals of which 42,293 are active in U.S commerce. EPA...

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 environment; nanoscale medical and pharmaceutical products; and electronics. Registration is open for the third webinar in the series, Nanoscale Medical and Pharmaceutical Products, which will be held March 1, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. (EST). The webinar will...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on February 16, 2024, that, in collaboration with the PETA Science Consortium International (PSCI), the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS), and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. (EST) for a webinar on the use of new approach methodologies (NAM) or alternative methods to testing on vertebrate animals for chemical risk assessments. The presenters for the webinar,...

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), an agency of the Rural Development mission area within U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), issued a proposed rule on January 24, 2024, that would adopt changes from the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). 89 Fed. Reg. 4770. The changes include merging the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement (7 C.F.R. Part 3201) and the Voluntary Labeling Program for Biobased Products (7 C.F.R. Part 3202) into...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on February 14, 2024, the list of ten scientific experts selected to review the 2023 draft risk evaluation for tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Biographies of these experts are available in docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2023-0265. EPA states that it will hold a virtual public meeting on March 5, 2024, to review the documents and draft charge questions being posed to the reviewers and address any...