Blogs

On March 14, 2014, Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) and Hawkins, Inc. introduced Chill-Pro, a U.S. Department of Agriculture certified heat transfer fluid. Chill-Pro is made with ADM Evolution Chemicals™ propylene glycol. According to ADM's press release on the announcement, "the benefits of Chill-Pro over petroleum-derived products include the fact that the majority component, propylene glycol, is 100% biobased and has lower cradle-to-gate greenhouse gas emissions." A...

Tetra Pak, a company providing solutions in food processing and packaging headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, announced on March 13, 2014, the launch of the first biobased cap for "gable top" packages (cartons). According to the company's press release, this biobased version of TwistCap OSO 34 is manufactured using high density polyethylene (HDPE) derived from sugar cane. A copy of Tetra Pak's press release on the announcement is available online.

U.S. cellulosic biofuels producer, KiOR, filed its annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) this week. In the report, the company expresses concerns about sufficient funding to continue operations moving forward. Although KiOR has received a conditional funding commitment of up to $25 million from its founder Vinod Khosla, receipt of the funding depends on certain production milestones that may not be met. In December 2013, KiOR reported a $347.5 million net loss, and in...

On March 17, 2014, the Minnesota House of Representatives adopted the report of the Committee on Agriculture Policy as amended on H.F. No. 2456. The report has been re-referred to the Minnesota House of Representatives Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Finance. H.F. 2456 would create renewable chemical and advanced biofuel capital equipment loans for qualifying Minnesota renewable chemical and advanced biofuels producers. A copy of the report as amended is available...

On March 18, 2014, EPA issued a press release seeking nominations for EPA's Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Biobased chemical producers and stakeholders are urged to consider submitting a nomination, or at the least preparing to submit one for next year. The award is prestigious and well worth the time and effort it takes to submit a compelling nomination application. Nominations are due to the Agency by April 30, 2014. EPA's press release about the awards and entry...

On March 12, 2014, Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), shared with his colleagues a vision plan that was developed to guide OCSPP's work over the next several years. The document, entitled Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Envisioning Accomplishments in 2017, outlines several actions that will be taken by OCSPP regarding pesticide registration, existing chemicals, the EDSP, creating a whole new Design for the...

On March 13, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent a pre-rule notice to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on "Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals and Mixtures." This action shows that EPA is moving forward on a rulemaking under TSCA Sections 8(a) and 8(d) to obtain data on chemical substances and mixtures used in hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is a process used in oil and gas production. EPA explained in the Fall 2013 Unified Agenda that...

The American Bar Association's (ABA) Section on Energy, Environment and Resources (SEER) has issued five white papers designed to assist stakeholders in the ongoing debate to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA). The papers are on the following TSCA-related topics: (1) ABA SEER Overview of TSCA; (2) ABA SEER TSCA Trade Secret and Confidential Business Information Briefing Paper; (3) ABA SEER TSCA Preemption of Private Rights of Action Under TSCA and TSCA Legislation...

On March 6, 2014, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Ranking Member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, introduced the America Competes Reauthorization Act of 2014 (H.R. 4159). The bill would establish, revise, and extend specified science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs, as well as education, research, and training programs.  The bill would reauthorize the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) “to ensure the United States remains a leader in...

As part of the Communication on the Second Regulatory Review on Nanomaterials, the European Commission (EC) announced the launch of an impact assessment intended to identify and develop the most adequate means to increase transparency and ensure regulatory oversight on nanomaterials.  The EC has provided a working document, which contains a draft problem definition, policy objectives, and a description of the preliminary policy options that are under consideration.  The EC will update...