In the July 13, 2010, Federal Register, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides guidance on various reporting options that states and local agencies may choose in implementing Sections 311 and 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA). In addition, EPA also provides some new interpretations and revises some existing ones “to help facilities comply with certain of the requirements under EPCRA.” The effective date of the guidance...
The July 12, 2010, issue of Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News quotes Lynn L. Bergeson regarding the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent report regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) management of nanomaterials. Bergeson disagrees with GAO’s suggestion that nanomaterials are “flooding the market,” comments on EPA’s use of Section 6(a)(2) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to obtain...
We are pleased to announce that Lynn L. Bergeson is included in Chambers USA 2010. The USA Guide is based on thousands of in-depth interviews with clients and attorneys. Chambers & Partners then ranked the top firms and attorneys and described their merits — often in the words of clients they interviewed. Rankings include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities most valued by the client. The...
On July 1, 2010, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) released its list of “chemicals of high concern.” Under the 2009 Toxic Free Kids Act, a “chemical of high concern” is a chemical “identified on the basis of credible scientific evidence by a state, federal, or international agency as being known or suspected with a high degree of probability to”: The Act instructs MDH to “consider chemicals listed as a suspected carcinogen, reproductive...
On Wednesday, June 23, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a public hearing on the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Pesticides General Permit (PGP). This hearing, along with three previous public meetings, was held during the 45-day public comment period (through July 19, 2010) on the draft PGP for point source discharges from the application of pesticides to waters of the U.S. EPA proposed the PGP in response to the 2009...
Lynn L. Bergeson Collaborated on the White Paper We are pleased to announce the release of the final white paper from the October 8-9, 2009, summit entitled “Environmentally Responsible Development of Nanotechnology,” which was held by The Research Triangle Environmental Health Collaborative. The charge for summit attendees was to explore issues regarding potential risk across nano-enabled product lifecycles, with the goal of generating a set of recommendations for North Carolina...
Lynn L. Bergeson Collaborated on the White Paper We are pleased to announce the release of the final white paper from the October 8-9, 2009, summit entitled “Environmentally Responsible Development of Nanotechnology,” which was held by The Research Triangle Environmental Health Collaborative. The charge for summit attendees was to explore issues regarding potential risk across nano-enabled product lifecycles, with the goal of generating a set of recommendations for North Carolina...
On June 23, 2010, Health Canada issued final regulations to set forth new “rules on how the scientific data used to support a pesticide registration is protected from reliance by another applicant or registrant.” The regulations are available online. Health Canada states: “These Regulations are designed to provide a legally enforceable and fair process of pesticide data protection. They are intended to benefit pesticide users, particularly in the agricultural sector, by...
Hundreds of U.S. businesses have already received in the mail test orders issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for initial endocrine screening under the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). Hundreds more will receive orders later this year. How recipients respond to an EDSP test order can present challenging issues. This article explains why....
Last issue’s installment of the “Washington Watch” column discussed some key issues surrounding nanosilver and noted an ongoing review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP). Now that the SAP has issued its much-anticipated report and recommendations, it is worth revisiting the topic of nanosilver pesticides....