Blogs

On November 13, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted the following documents on the Unified Website for Biotechnology Regulation: As reported in our September 13, 2022, blog item, on September 12, 2022, President Joseph Biden signed an Executive Order creating a National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative to accelerate biotechnology innovation and grow America’s...

The Biden Administration announced on November 9, 2023, that the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) issued final revisions to Circular A-4, the government-wide guidance on regulatory analysis. Issued in 2003, Circular A-4 has been updated to help agencies more accurately estimate the impacts of their regulations and, according to the press release, “thereby enable them to craft better regulations which, in turn, means lower costs for consumers; cleaner food, air, and water;...

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) has rescheduled its symposium entitled “Enabling the Nanotechnology Revolution: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act” to March 5, 2024, at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. According to NNI, the symposium will bring together “experts who can speak on the importance of nanotechnology in quantum engineering, optics, EHS, plastics, DEIA, microelectronics,...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will hold an informational webinar on November 28, 2023, about its Clean Fuels & Products Shot: Alternate Sources for Carbon-Based Products. During the webinar, a panel of DOE experts will provide information on how the Clean Fuels & Products Shot initiative fits into DOE’s broader Energy Earthshots™ portfolio. They will discuss how DOE works with industry, academia, and national labs on research, development, demonstration, and deployment of...

On November 9, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invited nominations of scientific experts from a diverse range of disciplines to be considered for appointment to the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC), established pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 88 Fed. Reg. 77308. EPA states that it anticipates appointing new SACC members by mid-2024 due to expiring membership terms. Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified individuals to...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) on October 12, 2023, soliciting public comment and suggestions on specific issues related to seed treated with conventional pesticides (treated seed) and paint treated with conventional or antimicrobial pesticides (treated paint). 88 Fed. Reg. 70625. According to the ANPRM, EPA is considering whether a rule under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to regulate...

On November 2, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it granted a petition filed under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to address the use of the chemical N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) in tires. As reported in our August 9, 2023, blog item, on August 1, 2023, Earthjustice filed a citizen petition asking EPA to establish regulations prohibiting the manufacturing, processing, use, and distribution of 6PPD for and in...

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced on October 25, 2023, that scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have developed biosensing technology that can help address the problem of plastic waste, specifically nylon-based waste, such as textiles, carpets, tires, and fishing nets. According to BETO, these and other products “are typically made from nylon-66, a common, very tough nylon made of a polymer building block called adipic acid...

On October 23, 2023, the Biden Administration announced the designation of 31 communities across the United States as Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs (Tech Hubs) through the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration. According to the fact sheet, the Tech Hubs focus on developing and growing innovative industries in regions across the country, bringing together private industry, state and local governments, institutions of higher education, labor unions, Tribal...

On October 17, 2023, Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) reintroduced the Adopt Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) Act (S. 3055), a bipartisan bill directing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update its greenhouse gas (GHG) modeling for all renewable fuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). According to Thune’s October 17, 2023, press release, the bill would require EPA to apply the Argonne National Lab’s...

The European Union (EU) NanoSafety Cluster (NSC) announced on October 24, 2023, that it is conducting a survey on the implementation of nanosafety in workplaces. NSC states that the survey aims to gather insights on the current practices and challenges of implementing nanosafety in workplaces. According to NSC, responses will help shape recommendations for future safety guidelines and protocols. NSC notes that participation will take approximately 15-20 minutes....

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced on October 19, 2023, that North Carolina State University will hold the Waste to Advanced Resources Matter (WARM) workshop November 15-16, 2023, in Raleigh, North Carolina. With support from BETO, and in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, IBM, the Town of Cary, and Idaho National Laboratory, the workshop will bring together participants interested in carbon resource recovery from...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a webinar on November 14, 2023, on its proposal to ban trichloroethylene (TCE). In October 2023, EPA released its proposed risk management rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for TCE. The rule would ban the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of TCE for all uses. If issued in final, most uses of TCE would be prohibited within one year, including TCE manufactured...

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has posted two new reports in its Series on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials:...

The third annual Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition (AFCC) Global Biobased Economy Conference will be held November 12-14, 2023, in Washington, D.C. AFCC states that attendees will learn about the necessary factors to successful commercialization and decarbonization in sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), alternative fuels, renewable chemicals (includes bioplastics), biomaterials, food ingredients and additives, flavors and fragrances, alternative proteins, and regenerative agriculture....

NanoHarmony published on October 13, 2023, a white paper entitled From Science to Regulation: The NanoHarmony White Paper on Test Guideline Development. NanoHarmony states that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Test Guidelines (TG) Programme helps to develop harmonized agreed methods that can be used by OECD member countries to implement their regulatory regimes. According to NanoHarmony, for regulations to be effective and for manufacturers to be able to...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on October 20, 2023, the release of a final rule that is intended to improve reporting on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) by eliminating an exemption that allowed facilities to avoid reporting information on PFAS when those chemicals were used in small concentrations. The final rule will add PFAS subject to reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on October 23, 2023, the winners of the 2023 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for new and innovative green chemistry technologies. According to EPA, through the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the generation and use of hazardous substances, the winners “have developed solutions to significant environmental challenges such as climate change and spur innovation and economic development.” An independent...

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Nanoinformatics Conference will be held November 15, 2023, immediately before the 11th meeting of the U.S.-European Union (EU) Nano Environmental, Health, and Safety (NanoEHS) Communities of Research (COR) on November 16-17, 2023. According to the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), the Nanoinformatics Conference is being organized in support of the continued growth of the U.S. nanoinformatics research infrastructure and to foster...

On October 13, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the availability of a revised draft of the Guide for Submitting Permit Applications for Microorganisms Developed Using Genetic Engineering under 7 CFR Part 340 and a Response to Comments on the first draft of the Guide, published on March 23, 2023. APHIS’s Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) received comments on a range of issues and grouped the comments...