B&C® Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog

The National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies hosted the first public meeting for the Committee on Genetically Engineered Crops: Past Experience and Future Prospects on September 15-17, 2014. This public meeting was the first of a series of events that are part of NRC's ongoing study to determine the benefits and risks of genetically engineered crops. A webinar related to this study has been scheduled for October 1, 2014, and more information is available online. A transcript...

With the draft initial Priority Product Work Plan now released, it is important for manufacturers, importers, and retailers of consumer products in the categories listed by DTSC in the Work Plan to understand and address any issues. The upcoming Safer Consumer Products Summit, of which BRAG is a proud sponsor, will bring together DTSC staff, brand owners, chemical companies, and industry associations to discuss these developments in sessions including: * "Strategies and Tactics in Response...

On September 12, 2014, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) released its much anticipated draft Initial Priority Product Work Plan under SCPR. The Regulations require that DTSC, by October 2014, develop an Initial Priority Product Work Plan that describes product categories it will use to evaluate and identify product-chemical combinations to be added to the Priority Products. The Work Plan is available online and more detailed memoranda from BRAG affiliate Bergeson &...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and EPA State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network (SEE Action) website has been redesigned. The website provides information on successful efforts to advance energy efficiency across the U.S. It includes initiatives in support of energy efficiency policies and program options at the state and local levels. You can access the SEE Action website here.

The Green Chemistry Clearinghouse Conference held on September 16, 2014, in San Francisco included several interesting panels discussing topics including California Safer Consumer Products Regulations' (SCPR) recently released Work Plan, the future of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform, and the increasing push by retailers to require information from the supply chain. Jim Jones, EPA's Assistant Administrator at the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), spoke...

Inside EPA reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will take at least 12 more months before a proposed ruling for the 2015 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) can be released. This pushes "issuance of a final version toward the end of the 2015 compliance year," while also violating the statutory mandate that EPA has to "issue the annual RFS targets before the compliance year begins." EPA did not meet that schedule in 2014 either, as the RFS is yet to be released...

One of the highlights of the year for the biobased and green chemistry community is the annual Green Chemistry and Engineering (GC&E) Conference hosted by the American Chemical Society's (ACS) Green Chemistry Institute (GCI). It is the longest running green chemistry conference in the U.S. and always attracts a prestigious line-up of scientists, advocates, business leaders, academics, and students who come together, compare findings, and discuss the science of the future. A rich treasure...

A custom designed circulating fluidized bed (CFB) has been created so that engineers at Southwest Research Institute can convert crude oil and biofeedstocks into refined fuel samples for clients more efficiently than previously possible. The CFB is able to produce half a liter per hour of samples, and is able to test both fast pyrolysis processes as well as fluidized catalytic cracking refinery unit operations. This is in part due to the 15 foot tall, 150 square foot CFB being much larger than...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has guaranteed a $105 million loan through Bank of America, N.A. to help Fulcrum Sierra Biofuels build a plant in McCarran, Nevada that would convert municipal waste into renewable jet fuel. The total project cost is expected to be $266 million and the plant is predicted to produce 11 million gallons of fuel per year. This loan was guaranteed as part of the Biorefinery Assistance Program that is included in the Farm Bill. The biorefineries are expected...

Glowing reviews for the recent Sustainable Futures workshop co-sponsored by the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and George Washington University (GWU) continue to roll in. Attendees at the event included Dr. Anthony Hotton and Omoru E. Emmanuel, of the Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Dr. Hotton stated regarding the Sustainable Futures workshop "[t]he training has...