B&C® Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has issued a draft of its Stage 1 Alternatives Analysis (AA) Guide. DTSC developed this guidance to help the regulated community conduct AA and regulatory requirements under the California Safer Consumer Products (SCP) program. Comments on the draft document can be submitted online at the SCP Information Management System (CalSafer) website and are due by October 23, 2015. DTSC is holding two webinars, the second of which occurs on...

The third annual National Bioenergy Day will be occurring on October 21, 2015, across the United States. This special day is led by the Biomass Power Association in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, and is intended to allow organizations to showcase the benefits of bioenergy to their communities. The National Bioenergy Day 2015 Participation Guide outlines some of the best ways to participate, including interacting with local schools and media organizations, and encouraging collaboration...

On October 2, 2015, at the 2015 Algae Biomass Organization Summit, the Algae Foundation announced a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded education initiative to enhance algae workforce development. The Algae Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to expanding the algae industry though research, education, and outreach, and plays an important part in advancing the bioeconomy beyond ethanol. The DOE-funded initiative will focus on developing a college degree in algal cultivation...

On October 6, 2015, the National Science and Technology Council, Science and Technology Policy Office published a notice of request for information (RFI) on "Clarifying Current Roles and Responsibilities Described in the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology (CF) and Developing a Long-Term Strategy for the Regulation of the Products of Biotechnology" in the Federal Register. The purpose of the RFI is to obtain relevant data that will be used to update the CF to...

On September 25, 2015, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted to readopt the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), and require a ten percent reduction in carbon intensity of transportation fuels by 2020. The LCFS targets were originally frozen due to a legal challenge. To address the court's ruling, CARB solicited public testimony before readopting an updated version of the LCFS. The modified LCFS includes protection against possible price spikes, an improved process for earning LCFS...

On September 25, 2015, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted to amend the Biofuel Development and In-State Production Incentive Act by removing a ten percent ethanol blend requirement that occurs when Pennsylvania ethanol production exceeds 350 million gallons. The Act was originally passed in 2008. Since the incentive was put in place, Pennsylvania has not come close to reaching the 350 million gallon threshold. The bill has been referred to the Senate Environmental Resources and...

On September 25, 2015, EPA published Recommendations for Specifications, Environmental Performance Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Procurement. The notice describes EPA's recommendations for federal agencies that are purchasing environmentally-friendly products. Section 3(i) of Executive Order 13693, Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade, directs federal agencies to adhere to certain environmental performance and sustainability standards when practicable. The new EPA...

On September 30, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a workshop on genetically engineered (GE) algae to give stakeholders an opportunity to hear about EPA's plans for improving its risk assessments of GE algae under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Dr. Jeff Morris, Deputy Director of Programs for the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), welcomed participants and laid out the scope of the meeting: to assist EPA in understanding the questions it needs...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced in a September 14, 2015, press release, "FTC Sends Warning Letters about Green Certification Seals," that it sent warning letters to five providers of environmental certification seals and 32 businesses using those seals, "alerting them to the agency's concerns that the seals could be considered deceptive and may not comply with the FTC's environmental marketing guidelines." FTC states that environmental certification seals...

On September 15, 2015, Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) proposed using hypothetical indirect land use change (ILUC) emissions while calculating the carbon intensity of biofuels under the Clean Fuels Program (CFP). DEQ proposed the rule to update the Oregon Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy Transportation model (OR-GREET) to clarify elements before the CFP's first compliance year starting on January 1, 2016. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) released a...