On October 29, 2025, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works favorably reported several nominations, including Jeffrey Hall to be an Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Douglas Troutman to be Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances at EPA, each by a vote of ten to nine along party lines. The Committee considered Hall’s nomination during a July 23, 2025, hearing, during...
October 20, 2025
Senate Subcommittee Will Hold Hearing on “Examining the Beneficial Use and Regulation of Chemicals”
On October 23, 2025, the Environment and Public Works Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight Subcommittee will hold a hearing on “Examining the Beneficial Use and Regulation of Chemicals.” The Committee is scheduled to hear from the following witnesses: Peter Huntsman, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Huntsman Corporation; Dr. Gwen Gross, Senior Technical Fellow, The Boeing Company; and Dr. Tracey Woodruff, Professor and Director,...
October 16, 2025
Phthalate Risk Evaluation under TSCA: B&C’s October 30 Webinar Explores Potential Impacts to the Plastics Industry
Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), The Acta Group (Acta®), and B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM) are pleased to present “Phthalate Risk Evaluation under TSCA and the Potential Impacts to the Plastics Industry,” on October 30, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (EDT). This complimentary webinar will explore the background and current status of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) precedent-setting review of seven phthalates under Toxic Substances Control Act...
October 15, 2025
Comments on Final Risk Management Rule for Carbon Tetrachloride Are Due November 10, 2025
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on October 9, 2025, that it is beginning a 30-day comment period on its 2024 final risk management rule for carbon tetrachloride (CTC). 90 Fed. Reg. 48203. As reported in our January 13, 2025, memorandum, EPA published the final rule on December 11, 2024. After the final rule was published, several legal challenges were filed and then consolidated in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. EPA states that it “has since...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on October 10, 2025, that it eliminated “an extensive backlog of notifications received from companies regarding chemical risks that needed review and routing across the agency.” Section 8(e) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) requires chemical manufacturers, importers, processers, and distributors to report to EPA any information that indicates their chemical may pose substantial risk to human health or the environment. EPA...
The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has posted a Public Involvement Plan (PIP) for implementing the Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Protection Act (HB 212). Effective October 8, 2025, the PIP provides public participation opportunities and information needed for the community to engage in rulemaking, enforcement, and policy development under the Act. The PIP also identifies information about affected communities and resources needed by NMED to incorporate public participation...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on October 7, 2025, the addition of a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) to the list of chemicals covered by the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). EPA added sodium perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS-Na) to the TRI list pursuant to the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). EPA states that the addition is due to EPA issuing a final toxicity value in 2025 entitled “IRIS Toxicological Review of Perfluorohexanesulfonic...
October 6, 2025
EPA OIG Publishes Report on Lessons Learned from Prior Oversight Related to EPA’s Rulemaking
On October 2, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report entitled Lessons Learned from Prior Oversight Related to the EPA’s Rulemaking. According to the report, OIG initiated the project to describe the lessons identified from select EPA OIG and U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports to help inform EPA’s future rulemaking efforts. OIG states that it reviewed 17 reports and identified five lessons from these prior...
September 29, 2025
Comments Due October 8, 2025, on Connecticut’s Draft PFAS Reporting Form for Manufacturers and Draft Order Regarding Labeling
Beginning July 1, 2026, Connecticut will prohibit the manufacture, sale, and distribution of certain consumer products that contain intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) unless the manufacturer provides prior notification to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and labels these products. The consumer products are apparel; carpets or rugs; cleaning products; cookware; cosmetic products; dental floss; fabric treatments; children's...
September 26, 2025
ALJ Disapproves Minnesota’s Proposed PFAS Rule Package Pending Correction
As reported in our May 29, 2025, memorandum, on May 22, 2025, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) held a public hearing on its proposed per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) reporting rule. Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Jim Mortenson facilitated the hearing. To allow the proposed rule to move forward, the ALJ must conclude that MPCA has the legal authority to adopt the rule; that MPCA has fulfilled all relevant legal and procedural requirements to promulgate the rules; and that...