Section 6(h) of new TSCA addresses persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemical substances listed in the 2014 TSCA Work Plan. For such chemicals, Section 6(h) outlines a procedure requiring “expedited” regulatory action that is intended to reduce exposures to these chemicals to the “extent practicable.” As written, chemicals subject to Section 6(h) will not undergo a risk evaluation as will other high-priority chemicals. Instead, EPA will proceed immediately to...
August 24, 2016
U.S. Army ERDC Conducting Survey to Inform Risk Management Tool for Developing Nano-Enabled Products and Nanomaterials
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is developing a web-enabled information and screening tool intended to help small businesses integrating or developing nanoscale materials address uncertainty related to regulatory compliance and environment, health, and occupational safety (EHOS) risks. To that end, ERDC is conducting a brief survey to identify resources, regulations, and risks that are most important to companies and other organizations involved in product and...
August 23, 2016
Ninth Circuit Denies EPA’s Request for Six-Month Extension on Chlorpyrifos Decision; Grants Three-Month Extension
On August 12, 2016, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order denying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) request for an additional six months to decide whether to ban agricultural uses of chlorpyrifos. The court opted instead to afford EPA a three month extension, stating that “this is the final extension, and the court will not grant any further extensions." EPA sought the six month extension on June 29, 2016, to allow time for EPA...
August 23, 2016
Review Published of Nanomaterials for Products and Application in Agriculture, Feed, and Food in the European Union
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) requested a review of the already marketed and in-development applications of nanomaterials in the agri/feed/food sectors. The results of the review are published in the August 2016 issue of Trends in Food Science & Technology in an article entitled “Nanomaterials for products and application in agriculture, feed and food.” The article highlights include: Nanotechnology is applied in agricultural production, animal feed,...
On September 12, 2016, Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®); Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., B&C Senior Chemist; and Kathleen M. Roberts, Vice President of B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM), will present "The New TSCA: Information and Reporting (Sections 8 & 14)" in conjunction with Chemical Watch. This free webinar is the third in Chemical Watch's Toxic...
On August 10, 2016, India's Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan spoke at a conference in New Delhi about the future of India's biofuel market. He discussed how a target five percent biodiesel blend and a ten percent ethanol blend in gasoline could increase the biofuels market from 65 billion rupees to 500 billion rupees by 2022. The Indian biofuel industry is currently trying to achieve a five percent biobased blend for both diesel and gasoline, and aims to increase the availability of...
On August 10, 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $30 million expansion of the U.S.-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy Research (PACE-R). DOE is partnered with the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology (MST), and both departments are committing $1.5 million annually over the next five years to expand research into smart grid and energy storage technology. U.S. and Indian private sectors will match the government commitments, resulting in a total of $30 million in...
On August 11, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) convened a public meeting to solicit comments prior to development of a proposed rule to implement the revised Section 26 fees provision under the new Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Public comments may be submitted through regulations.gov in docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0401 until August 24, 2016. During the meeting, EPA solicited public comment in particular on the following five issues: To be able to...
August 15, 2016
EPA Extends Deadline to Submit Comments on Updated Method for Establishing Economic Minor Use
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released a pre-publication version of a Federal Register notice to be issued on August 16, 2016, extending the deadline to submit comments on draft Pesticide Registration Notice (PRN) 2016-X from August 15, 2016, to September 14, 2016. A discussion of draft PRN 2016-X, which proposes to update Section 5 of PRN 97-2, and to clarify and update criteria by which EPA classifies crops as “minor...
August 12, 2016
EPA’s August 9 and August 10 Public Meetings on Proposed Rules Concerning Chemical Risk Evaluation and Prioritization
On August 9 and August 10, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held two public meetings to obtain input prior to development of a proposed rule for chemical risk evaluation (August 9) and a proposed procedural rule regarding prioritization of chemicals for further risk evaluation (August 10) under the new Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) Oscar Hernandez, Ph.D. and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D. were in attendance,...