June 2, 2015

HCS:  OSHA Publishes Interim Enforcement Guidance for the Hazard Communication Standard

On May 29, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published the “Interim Enforcement Guidance for Hazard Communication 2012 (HCS 2012) June 1, 2015 Effective Date” (Interim Guidance). This is a follow-up document to the February 9, 2015, “Enforcement Guidance for the Hazard Communication Standard’s (HCS) June 1, 2015 Effective Date” (Enforcement Guidance). The Interim Guidance offers clarity on a few specific...
June 2, 2015

Acta Offers Complimentary Consultation on K-REACH at ChemCon Asia 2015

The Acta Group (Acta®) is pleased to offer to ChemCon Asia 2015 attendees a complimentary 30-minute private session with Acta professionals and Acta’s South Korean-based affiliate, SHES Chemical Consulting (SHES), to answer questions relating to K-REACH, European Union REACH, TSCA, or other Asian chemical notification/regulation programs, as requested. This service is offered free of charge, provides an excellent opportunity to maximize your attendance at ChemCon, and is...
June 1, 2015

The Washington Monthly Quotes Lynn L. Bergeson on TSCA Reform Bill

Lynn L. Bergeson was quoted in “Pick Your Poison,” an article in the Summer 2015 Washington Monthly discussing Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) modernization. In the absence of appropriate federal protections, states have stepped into the breach, promulgating their own rules. Under current TSCA regulations, unless and until the EPA regulates a chemical, states can issue their own limits. Those that have done so include California, New York, Vermont, Washington, Massachusetts,...
May 27, 2015

BNA Daily Environment Report Includes B&C Analysis in Article on TSCA Modernization Act

The May 27, 2015, Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report article “TSCA Modernization Act Introduced in House; Key Republicans, Democrats Back Legislation,” included quotes from the B&C analysis “TSCA Reform: Detailed Review of Representative Shimkus’ Second Discussion Draft of TSCA Reform Legislation.” Time remains to address pragmatic implementation concerns in the House’s “almost surgical” TSCA-reform bill as well as the more expansive Senate bill, the...
May 26, 2015

Become a Member of the Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is a proud supporter of the Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (SNO) and we enthusiastically recommend that you consider joining and becoming part of the SNO family during the 2015 membership drive, running now through July 3, 2015. Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of B&C, has served on the Governance Board since SNO’s founding in 2012. SNO’s purpose is unique. It is the only organization devoted exclusively to...
May 20, 2015

TSCA Reform: Detailed Review of Representative Shimkus’ Second Discussion Draft of TSCA Reform Legislation

On May 12, 2015, Representative John Shimkus (R-IL), Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy, released a new (second) draft of the TSCA Modernization Act of 2015 (TMA2 DD). In April, Shimkus released an initial discussion draft of the TSCA Modernization Act of 2015 (TMA1); our memorandum on TMA1 is available online. In the previous Congress, Shimkus introduced first a discussion draft of the Chemicals in Commerce Act (CICA1), and then a...
May 19, 2015

U.S. OSHA HCS 2012 Deadline Less Than Two Weeks Away

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) deadline of June 1, 2015, is fast approaching. Below is a brief summary of what is at stake, and what needs to be in place by the deadline. On March 26, 2012, OSHA issued a final rule modifying its HCS to conform to the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), Revision 3. In the final rule, OSHA drastically...
May 19, 2015

Lynn L. Bergeson Earns Highest Ranking in Chambers USA Guide 2015

Lynn L. Bergeson has once again been awarded a Band 1 ranking, the highest attainable, among Washington, D.C. environmental lawyers by Chambers USA Guide 2015. This is Ms. Bergeson’s tenth consecutive year of being ranked by Chambers USA as one of the best lawyers in America. In the commentary accompanying her 2015 ranking, Chambers asserts “Lynn Bergeson of Bergeson & Campbell PC has developed an enviable reputation in the chemical regulation area and frequently advises on...
May 18, 2015

Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., “Thought Leadership: The Toxic Substances Control Act and the Bioeconomy: Part 3, Call to Action,” Biofuels Digest, May 18, 2015.

In the second installment of this series, I wrote about how the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regulates products across a manufacturing process, from feedstock to product. In this last installment, I present options for updating TSCA and the related implementing regulations to put novel, biobased chemistry on an even footing with incumbent products and processes that were grandfathered in as part of the original TSCA Inventory. The key is to find a way to level the field...