Blogs

On March 13, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published notice of a proposed settlement agreement to address a petition for writ of mandamus filed by the Ecology Center, the Center for Environmental Health, United Parents Against Lead & Other Environmental Hazards, and the Sierra Club in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Ecology Center v. EPA, No. 23-70158 (9th Cir.)). 89 Fed. Reg. 18408. The petitioners filed a petition...

SAVE THE DATETSCA Reform – 8 Years LaterJune 26, 2024, 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (EDT)George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, D.C., and via livestream Save the date to join Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health for a day-long conference reflecting on the challenges and accomplishments since the implementation of the 2016...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) March 12, 2024, webinar, “FIFRA Hot Topics,” is now available for on-demand viewing. During this one-hour webinar, James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant, Lisa R. Burchi, Of Counsel, and moderator Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, discussed key priorities for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) and what companies should know to stay on top of new developments in the law and regulation...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released on March 14, 2024, a report entitled Building a Resilient Biomass Supply: A Plan to Enable the Bioeconomy in America, “a plan that will boost biomass supply chain resiliency for domestic biobased product manufacturing, while also advancing environmental sustainability and market opportunities for small and mid-sized producers.” According to USDA, the plan is one of the key USDA deliverables of President Biden’s 2022 Executive Order on...

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a hearing on March 20, 2024, on “Examining PFAS as Hazardous Substances.” The scheduled witnesses include:...

On March 5, 2024, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) held a symposium entitled “Enabling the Nanotechnology Revolution: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act.” The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) posted a readout of the symposium on March 6, 2024. According to OSTP, during the symposium, “leaders from academia, government, and industry spoke about U.S. success in nanotechnology and future...

On March 5, 2024, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) published its supplement to the President’s 2024 budget request. NNI states that the President’s 2024 budget requests an “all-time record” of $2.16 billion for it, with a sustained investment in foundational research that will fuel new discoveries and increase investments in application-driven research and development (R&D) to advance technologies of the future and address national priorities. The President’s 2024...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on March 6, 2024, a settlement requiring Haifa North America, Inc. (Haifa) to pay a civil penalty of $664,267 “for violations of chemical data reporting regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).” EPA states that it alleged that Haifa failed to submit a data report required under TSCA for 32 chemical substances that Haifa had imported between 2016 and 2019. According to EPA, Haifa imports “various chemicals...

In a March 4, 2024, blog item entitled “Sweating the Small Stuff: 20 years of NIOSH Research on Engineering Controls for Nanotechnology,” the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) highlighted the control approaches that it has recommended, “based on extensive research on the pharmaceutical, coatings, and cosmetic industries”: NIOSH states that following the publication of Current Strategies for Engineering Controls in Nanomaterial Production and Downstream...

On February 29, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested public nominations of scientific and technical experts for service as ad hoc reviewers assisting the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) with the peer review of the Agency’s evaluation of the risks from di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP) and di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) being conducted to inform risk management decisions under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 89 Fed. Reg. 14836. EPA states that it is...