Blogs

By Lynn L. Bergeson On March 13, 2018, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), a member of the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®), announced that nominations for the fifth annual Rosalind Franklin Award for Leadership in Industrial Biotechnology are being accepted.  Each year, the award recognizes an outstanding woman in the industrial biotechnology sector who has made significant contributions to the advancement of the biobased economy and...

By Lynn L. Bergeson On March 13, 2018, the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service issued in the Federal Register a notice of solicitation of applications for the  Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) for fiscal year (FY) 2018.  The solicitation is being issued prior to the passage of a final appropriations act to allow time for the submission and review of applications within the current FY.  Information on the amount of funding received in any continuing resolution or...

By Lynn L. Bergeson On March 12, 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued in the Federal Register a notice announcing the submission of an information collection request (ICR) on the guidelines for designating biobased products for federal procurement to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Pursuant to Section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act (FSRIA) of 2002, as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act (FCEA) of 2008, and the Agricultural Act...

The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) announced on March 20, 2018, that the European Commission (EC) requested a scientific opinion on two coatings for titanium dioxide (nano form) (methicone and perfluorooctyl triethoxysilane) as an ultraviolet (UV)-filter in dermally applied cosmetic products.  In its July 2013 safety evaluation of titanium dioxide (nano), SCCS listed substances considered safe for use as coatings for titanium dioxide (nano).  SCCS stated that...

The European Commission (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) announced on March 20, 2018, that its preliminary opinion on colloidal silver (nano) is available for comment.  According to the preliminary opinion, the EC received 63 notifications of cosmetic products containing colloidal silver in nano form.  According to the applicants, the ingredient is used in nano uncoated form both in leave-on and rinse-off oral cosmetics products, including toothpastes and...

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on March 15, 2018, a new website, “Chemicals in our life.”  The website is available in 23 European Union (EU) languages and “provides useful information on the benefits and risks of using chemicals and explains how the EU legislation on chemicals protects us.”  In its press release, ECHA notes that the website allows users to explore parts of the EU Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON).  Several articles on nanomaterials...

On March 15, 2018, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announced the availability of the draft National Occupational Research Agenda for Respiratory Health for public comment.  The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) is a partnership program created to stimulate innovative research and improved workplace practices.  The draft NORA for Respiratory Health is the first NORA to address respiratory health, and it is intended to...

On February 8, 2018, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a technology assessment report to congressional requestors entitled Chemical Innovation:  Technologies to Make Processes and Products More Sustainable.  GAO states it conducted this technology assessment “to explore, among other things, the opportunities, challenges, and federal roles in sustainable chemistry.”  This report discusses (1) how stakeholders define and assess sustainable chemistry;...

By Lynn L. Bergeson On March 6, 2018, a coalition of over 200 companies and trade associations sent a letter to the Agricultural Committee leaders in the House and Senate urging the reauthorization of and stable mandatory funding for the energy title programs in the next Farm Bill reauthorization.  The letter states that the Farm Bill energy title programs have greatly assisted rural America in developing clean, renewable energy, biobased products, and making energy efficiency...

By Lynn L. Bergeson On February 23, 2018, European Union (EU) ambassadors reached provisional agreements on the waste legislative package published by the European Commission in 2015.  The four legislative proposals include amendments to the: Waste Framework Directive; Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive; Landfill Directive; and End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV)/Batteries/Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directives. ? The Waste Framework Directive and the Packaging and...