Blogs

On December 17, 2015, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) posted a request for a scientific opinion on three coatings for titanium dioxide (nano) as an ultraviolet (UV)-filter in dermally applied cosmetic products.  According to the request, the European Commission (EC) received data from industry to assess the safety of the following coatings for titanium dioxide (nano form) used as a UV-filter in dermally applied cosmetic products:  cetyl phosphate; manganese dioxide; and...

On December 22, 2015, the U.S. Commerce Department National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced that it issued a notice of intent to fund up to two institutes as part of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI).  For the first institutes, the Commerce Department will provide up to $70 million per institute over five to seven years.  Commerce funding must be matched by private and other non-federal sources.  The Commerce Department expects the institutes to...

The European Commission (EC) published the final novel foods regulation in the December 11, 2015, issue of the Official Journal of the European Union. Under the regulation, food consisting of engineered nanomaterials should be considered a novel food. Engineered nanomaterial means “any intentionally produced material that has one or more dimensions of the order of 100 nm or less or that is composed of discrete functional parts, either internally or at the surface, many of which have one or...

? DuPont, "DuPont Leaders Tout Biopolymers And Technology For Improved Sustainability" ? Avantium, "Avantium Reserves Capacity In Its First FDCA Production Plant For Mitsui" ? Renewable Energy Magazine, "Biofuels Make Significant Contribution To GHG Emissions Savings" ? Boyce Thompson Institute For Plant Research, "Harrison Receives Grant For Phosphate Biosensor Research" ? UMass Amherst News Archive, "UMass Amherst Chemist Receives NSF Grant To...

On December 14, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program: Standards for 2014, 2015, and 2016 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2017 in the Federal Register. The final rule will become effective on February 12, 2016, and establishes annual percentage standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel for motor vehicle gasoline and diesel produced or imported in the years 2014, 2015,...

On December 10, 2015, DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) released a summary report of the Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Workshop, held on July 16, 2015. The workshop, co-sponsored by DOE and EERE, was held to receive input from stakeholders about the possible role of bioproducts in the biofuels industry, and to explore future research and development opportunities. The 40-page summary report includes responses from workshop participants identifying economic drivers, targets,...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently launched a new Pesticide Worker Protection Dashboard (Dashboard).  EPA states this Dashboard is “focused on the universe of agricultural operations regulated and farm workers and pesticide handlers covered by the Worker Protection Standard.”  EPA states that the Dashboard provides charts and graphs presenting certain key enforcement and compliance information related to the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) program...

On December 17, 2015, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Case Nos. 14-73353, et al. (consolidated), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed a reply in support of its motion for voluntary vacatur and remand of its decision granting a registration to intervenor DowAgroSciences LLC (DowAgro) for Enlist Duo herbicide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).  DowAgro responded to the motion by agreeing that remand is appropriate but...

This month the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Danish EPA) published the following publications, in English, concerning nanomaterials: Better control of nanomaterials — summary of the 4-year Danish initiative on nanomaterials: The “Better control of nanomaterials” initiative intended to create an overview of the possible risks of using nanomaterials, focusing on consumers and the environment. The report states: “Generally, there is still a need for more information on where...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently updated the electronic reporting option for pesticide establishments using the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Section Seven Tracking System (SSTS), now referred to as the Enhanced Section Seven Tracking System (eSSTS).  On December 17, 21, 22 and 28, EPA will hold four public webinars to explain the Central Data Exchange (CDX) registration process for the eSSTS and demonstrate report submission using...