November 1, 2023

Adopt GREET Act Reintroduced in the Senate

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...
October 31, 2023

EU NSC Conducting Survey on Implementation of Nanosafety in Workplaces

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....
October 31, 2023

Waste to Advanced Resources Matter Workshop Will Be Held November 15-16, 2023, in Raleigh, North Carolina

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...
October 30, 2023

EPA Will Hold Webinar on Proposal to Ban TCE

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...
October 27, 2023

Third Annual AFCC Global Biobased Economy Conference Will Be Held November 12-14, 2023

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....
October 25, 2023

NanoHarmony Publishes White Paper on OECD Test Guideline Development

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...
October 24, 2023

EPA Will Add PFAS Subject to TRI Reporting to List of Chemicals of Special Concern

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...
October 24, 2023

EPA Announces Winners of the 2023 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards

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...
October 20, 2023

NNI Nanoinformatics Conference and U.S.-EU NanoEHS COR Workshop Will Be Held in November 2023

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...