All Knowledge & Insights By Date

On March 29, 2011, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing entitled "Oversight Hearing on Disease Clusters and Environmental Health." Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ranking Member of the Superfund, Toxics, and Environmental Health Subcommittee, introduced the Strengthening Protections for Children and Communities from Disease Clusters Act (S. 76), also known as Trevor's Law, on January 25, 2011. The bill would require the U.S....

On March 30 and 31, 2011, the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold a Food Advisory Committee meeting on the possible link between synthetic dyes in food products and behavioral issues in children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Members of the Food Advisory Committee have been charged to "consider available relevant data on the possible association between consumption of certified color...

Environmental Justice and the Law Symposium Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C), B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM), The Acta Group, L.L.C. (Acta), and The Acta Group EU, Ltd (Acta EU) are pleased to announce that B&C is a proud sponsor of the American Bar Association's Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources' (ABA SEER)U.S. Environmental Justice and the Law Symposium, which will be held Friday, April 1, 2011, in Oxford, Mississippi. ABA SEER has collaborated with the...

Now that the number of substances included on the European Union's Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Candidate List is up to 47 and counting, it is important to pay closer attention to requirements pertaining to substances of very high concern (SVHC). Article 7 of REACH requires producers, importers, and suppliers of articles to notify the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) of the presence in articles of SVHCs that have been on the Candidate List for at...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C), B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM), The Acta Group, L.L.C. (Acta), and The Acta Group EU, Ltd (Acta EU) are pleased to announce that Jayne Bultena has joined B&C as Of Counsel. Ms. Bultena brings a distinguished background on a wide range of matters arising under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. She has represented Fortune 100 companies, start-ups, and venture capital investors on several issues, including developing and implementing...

Effective April 18, 2011, Jim Willis, Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) Chemical Control Division (CCD), will join the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the Executive Secretary of the Basel, Stockholm, and Rotterdam Conventions. Willis has been with EPA for more than 20 years in various staff through senior management positions. He also worked with UNEP for a number of years before returning to EPA in...

The March 23, 2011, issue of BNA Daily Environment Report quotes James V. Aidala regarding the prospects for reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). According to Aidala, TSCA reform is unlikely in the current Congress due to the Tea Party movement and a desire among some Congressional members to reduce the size of government and cut the federal budget.

On March 12, 2011, China's State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) issued Decree 591, "Regulation on the Safe Management of Dangerous Chemicals," which concerns the safe use of chemicals. The regulation is very wide ranging in scope and "sets the tone" for future chemicals legislation. As one of the more immediate impacts, State Decree 591 uses the National Standards GB 13690-2009 on the general rules for the classification and hazard communication of chemicals, and GB 12528-2009 on...

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated its table listing the sunset dates of chemicals subject to final Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 4 and related Section 12(b) actions. The table lists, in ascending Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number order, all chemical substances and mixtures that are and/or have been the subject of final TSCA Section 4 test rules and/or TSCA Section 4 enforceable consent agreements/orders (ECA) issued by EPA under the...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C), B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM), The Acta Group, L.L.C. (Acta), and The Acta Group EU, Ltd (Acta EU) are pleased to announce that on April 8, 2011, Lynn L. Bergeson and James V. Aidala will speak at the CropLife America and Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE) 2011 Spring Conference, "Seeking Scientific Solutions in a Regulatory Landscape," on two key issues -- the future of nanotechnology and the challenges...