By Lynn L. Bergeson On October 30, 2019, EPA announced that in response to an April 2019 court decision on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory Notification (Active-Inactive) Requirements Final Rule, EPA will publish a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that includes two additional questions about “reverse engineering” that manufacturers and processors would be required to answer when making confidential business information (CBI) claims. According to EPA, these...
By Lynn L. Bergeson On November 13, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (EST), the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology will hold a hearing on “Strengthening Transparency or Silencing Science? The Future of Science in EPA Rulemaking.” The Committee will hear from the following witnesses: Panel 1 Dr. Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD); EPA Science Advisor. ...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Federal Register notice on November 7, 2019, announcing the availability of the draft risk evaluation for N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and soliciting public comment. 84 Fed. Reg. 60087. EPA’s draft risk evaluation findings include: EPA did not find risk to the environment, bystanders, or occupational non-users. For all the conditions of use included in the draft risk evaluation, EPA has preliminarily...
On November 13, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (EST), the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology will hold a hearing on “Strengthening Transparency or Silencing Science? The Future of Science in EPA Rulemaking.” The Committee will hear from the following witnesses: Panel 1 Dr. Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD); EPA Science Advisor. Panel 2 Dr....
On November 4, 2019, the European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) published an updated Guidance on the Safety Assessment of Nanomaterials in Cosmetics. The Guidance updates SCCS’s 2012 Guidance (SCCS/1484/12) on the safety assessment of nanomaterials in cosmetic products. It covers the main elements of safety assessment — general considerations (Section 2), material characterization (Section 3), exposure assessment (Section 4), hazard...
On November 4, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of the draft risk evaluation for N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), which includes more than 30 uses of NMP in adhesives, sealants, paints and arts and craft paints, paint and coating removers, adhesive removers, and degreasers. EPA’s draft risk evaluation findings include: EPA did not find risk to the environment, bystanders, or occupational non-users. For all the conditions of use included...
The most recent episode of the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) podcast series, Stories from the NNI, features Lynn L. Bergeson. Ms. Bergeson shares her perspective on the intersection of nanotechnology and the law. Dr. Lisa Friedersdorf, Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), speaks with Ms. Bergeson regarding her perspective on the intersection of nanotechnology and the law. To celebrate the 15-year anniversary of the...
On October 31, 2019, as required by the 2018 Farm Bill, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service published its interim rule, “Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program” (Interim Rule). The Interim Rule proposal specifies rules and regulations governing hemp production in the U.S., including: Requirements for state/tribal plans for states pursuing regulatory authority over hemp production; Recordkeeping requirements; Licensing requirements;...
November 1, 2019
Non-Profit Announces Opportunity For Start-Ups With Innovations To Address Plastic Waste In The Envi
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On October 23, 2019, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) announced a partnership with innovation platform Plug and Play to develop an accelerator program focused on the plastics value chain to identify start-ups with innovative ideas addressing plastic waste. Named the End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform (EPWIP), this initiative will focus on solutions to lower the impact of plastic waste in the environment. Focus areas include but are...
November 1, 2019
ISU Hires CTO To Serve As A Bridge Between Research And Industry
By Lynn L. Bergeson On October 25, 2019, Iowa State University’s (ISU) Vice President for Research, Dan Kirkpatrick, announced that Sundeep Vani, Ph.D., has joined the team as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Biobased Products, a newly created role. Announced in an ISU press release, Dr. Vani’s role will be to serve as a conduit between research and industry. Dr. Vani will work closely with the Biobased Product platform leader, Brent Shanks, his team, and the Iowa Innovation...