April 30, 2021

EPA Announces Plans to Expand Scope of TRI Reporting Requirements

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 29, 2021, that it will be “taking important steps under the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) to advance Environmental Justice, improve transparency, and increase access to environmental information.” EPA plans to expand the scope of TRI reporting requirements to include additional chemicals and facilities, including facilities that are not currently reporting on ethylene oxide (EtO) releases, and provide new...
April 29, 2021

Let’s Talk About Europe’s Plastics Implementing Measure — A Conversation with Scott Burya, Ph.D.

Download transcript. This week, I sat down with Scott J. Burya, Ph.D., a regulatory chemist with B&C and our affiliated consulting firm, The Acta Group.  Scott works extensively in the food contact area and other areas involving Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) regulatory matters.  We discuss how U.S. regulatory professionals working in the all-important food contact space can leverage a European Union (EU) measure applicable to plastic food contact materials and...
April 21, 2021

Do the OSHA Proposed Amendments to the Hazard Communication Standard Clarify or Create Burden for Stakeholders?

On February 16, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). On April, 12, 2021, OSHA published a Federal Register notice to extend the comment period of the NPRM to amend the HCS by one month. The HCS is the federal-level regulation that sets forth the classification, labeling, Safety Data Sheet (SDS), and training requirements for hazardous chemicals...
April 21, 2021

Lynn L. Bergeson, “Don’t Ignore Game-Changing EU Environmental Initiatives,” Bloomberg Law Insights, April 21, 2021.

Two developments in the European Union in 2020 involving chemical regulations will almost certainly impact U.S. chemical stakeholders, according to Lynn L. Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell P.C. One initiative restricts certain chemicals in order to comply with the European Green Deal, while the other amends chemical disclosure requirements, she explains....
April 21, 2021

Lynn L. Bergeson, “EPA Eyes Stricter Phosphogypsum Rule,” Chemical Processing, April 21, 2021.

In early April, a Florida pond that sits atop phosphogypsum tailings sprung a leak. State authorities scrambled to keep the pond from collapsing and flooding the surrounding area with millions of gallons of contaminated water. This situation likely wasn’t top of mind on February 8, 2021, when a group of environmental protection advocates prepared and submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a petition under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)....
April 19, 2021

Lynn L. Bergeson and Lisa M. Campbell Chosen as Top Authors by JD Supra Readers

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to announce that Managing Partner Lynn L. Bergeson and Partner Lisa M. Campbell have been recognized in the 2021 JD Supra Readers Choice Awards as top authors in the environment section and B&C has been named the #1 firm in the environment category. JD Supra, a legal news service, has consistently awarded B&C authors with Readers Choice Awards for top visibility and engagement, reflecting the timely,...
April 19, 2021

Lynn L. Bergeson, “EC Scientific Committee’s Preliminary Opinions for Certain Gold and Platinum Nanomaterials Open for Comment,” Nanotechnology Now, April 19, 2021.

On April 16, 2021, the European Commission (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) posted two preliminary opinions for comment: Opinion on Gold (nano), Colloidal Gold (nano), Gold Thioethylamino Hyaluronic Acid (nano) and Acetyl heptapeptide-9 Colloidal gold (nano) and Opinion on Platinum (nano), Colloidal Platinum (nano) and Acetyl tetrapeptide-17 Colloidal Platinum (nano)....
April 16, 2021

Lynn L. Bergeson, “The New Toxic Substances Control Act is Now Five Years Old: A Report Card – It Is a Mixed Bag, but We Are Getting There,” The Debate, from ELI The Environmental Forum , May/June 2021.

June 22 of this year will mark the fifth anniversary since President Obama signed the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. Popularly still known by the name of the 40-year-old statute it replaced, the new version of the Toxic Substances Control Act had a vision to follow in reforming a system for evaluating and regulating chemicals in commerce that everyone, from industry to green NGOs to government officials, agreed was weak...
April 15, 2021

What will the Biden Trade Plan look like? — A Conversation with Daniella Taveau

Download Transcript. This week, I sat down with Daniella Taveau, a Regulatory and Global Trade Strategist and the founder of Bold Text Strategies.  As a former International Trade Negotiator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Daniella represented the United States in all U.S. Free Trade Agreements and before the World Trade Organization, the United Nations (U.N.) Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.  Daniella also served as an...
April 14, 2021

NGOs Claim Chevron Misled Consumers on Climate Action in Violation of FTC Green Guides

On March 16, 2021, Earthworks, Global Witness, and Greenpeace USA jointly filed a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaint against Chevron for “unlawfully deceptive advertisements which overstate investment in renewable energy and its commitment to reducing fossil fuel pollution.”  According to Earthworks’ March 16, 2021, press release, the complaint claims that Chevron “is consistently misrepresenting its image to appear climate-friendly and racial justice-oriented, while its...
April 13, 2021

OSHA Proposes Extension to Comment Period for Amendments to the Hazard Communication Standard

On April, 12, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a Federal Register notice to extend the comment period of the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) by one month. The HCS is the federal-level regulation that sets forth the classification, labeling, Safety Data Sheet (SDS), and training requirements for hazardous chemicals intended to be used, handled, or stored in workplaces. The...
April 9, 2021

Lynn L. Bergeson Quoted in Chemical Watch Article “EPA prepares to issue TSCA PFAS reporting rule proposal”

On April 9, 2021, Chemical Watch featured comments by Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) regarding a proposed per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) reporting rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), requiring manufacturers to submit detailed information on these compounds to guide potential regulatory action. The US EPA is nearing completion of a proposed per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) reporting rule under TSCA,...
April 6, 2021

Save the Date: TSCA At Five Virtual Conference, June 30, 2021

SAVE THE DATENEW TSCA AT FIVEVirtual Conference June 30, 2021 This June marks the fifth anniversary of the enactment of the game-changing Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg) that amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). With a new Administration and the relentless pace of regulatory developments related to Lautenberg implementation, there are many issues to consider and problems to solve. The Environmental Law Institute (ELI),...
April 1, 2021

Changes to Safety Data Sheets in the EU and what it might mean for US Businesses — A Conversation with Karin Baron

Download transcript. This week I sat down with Karin Baron, Senior Regulatory Consultant to B&C and our affiliated consultancy, The Acta Group, to discuss the European Union’s (EU) Commission Regulation issued last June relating to the completion of safety data sheets (SDS).  As listeners know, SDSs are critically important commercial documents that describe the hazards identified with a particular chemical product or mixture as it makes  its way in commerce.  While...
March 31, 2021

Product Stewardship and the Pandemic: Surviving and Thriving in Disruptive Times, March 31, 2021, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EDT, via webinar

The COVID-19 global pandemic has had far-reaching impacts on business operations. While we are all eager to put the pandemic behind us, other catastrophic events will inevitably occur. To strengthen organizational resilience going forward, we must examine lessons learned and position product stewardship as a key player in business continuity and crisis management. This future-focused webinar identified the broad range of complex, unresolved, and evolving issues product stewards have faced...
March 30, 2021

What To Expect From the Biden EPA?, March 30, 2021, 2:00 p.m. EDT, via webinar

Business & Learning Resources (BLR®) is hosting “What To Expect From the Biden EPA?,” a webinar presented by Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®). With Joe Biden now occupying the White House the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will plot a much different course than the one it has been on for the past 4 years under the Trump administration. This webinar will explore what Biden’s initiatives look like in...
March 29, 2021

EPA Announces Updates to TSCA New Chemicals ProgramLautenberg Implementation

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on March 29, 2021, that it is evaluating its policies, guidance, templates, and regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) new chemicals program to ensure they “adhere to statutory requirements,” the Biden-Harris Administration’s executive orders, and other directives.  EPA identified several instances where its approach for making determinations and managing risks associated with new chemicals can,...
March 24, 2021

Product Stewardship and the Pandemic:  Surviving and Thriving in Disruptive Times

The COVID-19 global pandemic has had far-reaching impacts on business operations. While we are all eager to put the pandemic behind us, other catastrophic events will inevitably occur. To strengthen organizational resilience going forward, we must examine lessons learned and position product stewardship as a key player in business continuity and crisis management. This complimentary future-focused webinar, hosted by the Product Stewardship Society (PSS), will identify the broad range of complex,...
March 22, 2021

Spring Arrives with a Slate of Exciting Virtual Events and Trainings

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to share information regarding a full slate of upcoming opportunities for chemical industry stakeholders to stay abreast of key regulatory developments both in the United States and internationally. We hope you will join B&C professionals, industry colleagues, and regulatory agency speakers for one or more of these events. Key Regulatory Updates:  Europe, Asia and the Americas 2021 March 23-25, 2021Register...
March 19, 2021

Petition Filed in D.C. Appellate Court Seeking Review of EPA’s Conditional Registration of Aldicarb for Use on Oranges and Grapefruit in Florida

On March 3, 2021, the Farmworker Association of Florida, Environmental Working Group, and Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for review of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) order registering the use of the pesticide aldicarb on oranges and grapefruit in Florida as set forth in: EPA published a Federal Register notice on December 7, 2020, announcing that it had received applications to register new...