Canada announced on January 9, 2015, that the New Substances Program has published six new risk assessment summaries for chemicals and polymers, including a summary for multi-wall carbon nanotubes. See http://www.ec.gc.ca/subsnouvelles-newsubs/default.asp?lang=En&n=4BCC7425-1 Environment Canada and Health Canada conduct risk assessments on new substances. These assessments include consideration of information on physical and chemical properties, hazards, uses, and exposure to...
Comments made by Lynn Bergeson were published by Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report in an article about recent and continuing efforts to pass a Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform bill. Federal preemption of state chemical regulation purposely was not addressed in a widely circulated draft revision of S. 1009 that never was introduced, and the preemption issue remains a challenge, Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell P.C., told Bloomberg BNA in an...
Comments made by Jane S. Vergnes, Ph.D., were featured in a Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report article covering the initial determination by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that additional data are needed to establish that six chemicals submitted for inclusion as active ingredients in the over-the-counter sunscreen monograph using the Time and Extent Application processes are generally recognized as safe and effective. The decisions show the bar to get...
January 9, 2015
Lynn L. Bergeson Quoted In Inside EPA Article “Despite GOP Gains, Preemption Remains Hurdle For TSCA Reform”
Inside EPA featured comments made by Lynn L. Bergeson in an Inside EPA article on issues impacting TSCA reform: Lynn Bergeson, of the Washington, DC, firm Bergeson & Campbell, noted that the “rights of states need to be part of the discussion on preemption in reform talks during the next Congress,” adding that the importance of the issue “cannot be overestimated’ in securing approval of a TSCA reform bill.”
January 5, 2015
Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Joins Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. and The Acta Group as Senior Policy Advisor
Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are pleased to announce the addition of Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., to our firms as Senior Policy Advisor. Dr. Engler is a 17-year veteran of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is one of the most widely recognized experts in the field of green chemistry, having served as senior staff scientist in EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) and leader of EPA's Green Chemistry Program. Dr. Engler has...
B&C Senior Policy Advisor Richard Engler, Ph.D., was quoted in a BNA Daily Environment Report article discussing the best ways to reduce or eliminate the use chemicals of concern by companies and regulators: "Understanding the functional use of a chemical is vital to maximizing the sustainability of a solution to a particular problem," Richard Engler, who served as leader of the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Chemistry Program prior to joining the law firm of Bergeson...
January 5, 2015
Predictions and Outlook for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) 2015
Click here for a PDF version of the memorandum. 2015 will be a very interesting year. There are two overarching considerations that will make the year more difficult to predict than merely assuming most of this year's issues will simply be extensions of past issues, with a few new initiatives sprinkled in. First, the new Republican majority in the Senate will change the dynamic between the Executive and Legislative branches. Second, the Obama Administration will begin its lame duck status as it...
December 22, 2014
Lynn L. Bergeson, “EPA’s New, Final Work Plan Assessments And What They Mean To You,” Environmental Quality Management, December 22, 2014.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released on June 25, 2014, and on August 28, 2014, final risk assessments for targeted uses of four Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan chemicals. The June Assessment consists of certain uses of trichloroethylene (TCE), and the assessments released in August are for uses of methylene chloride or dichloromethane (DCM), antimony trioxide (ATO), and 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta-[γ]-2-benzopyran (HHCB). The...
On December 17, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is taking action to protect the public from certain chemicals that it states have the potential to cause a range of health effects from cancer to reproductive and developmental harm to people and aquatic organisms. EPA's press release, "EPA Prevents Harmful Chemicals from Entering the Marketplace," includes a quote from Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution...
On June 20, 2014, the White House issued a "Presidential Memorandum -- Creating a Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators." The strategy is directed to all federal agencies and is designed to "expand Federal efforts and take new steps to reverse pollinator losses and help restore populations to healthy levels." The text of the memo lists a number of goals and comments on pollinator health, and has a focus on setting up a government-wide task force, along with...