TSCAblog®

Mark Hartman, the highly respected Deputy Director for Programs in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), will become Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Food Chemical Safety, Dietary Supplements, and Innovation (OFCSDSI) in its newly formed Human Foods Program (HFP). According to FDA’s website, OFCSDSI “uses a risk-based approach to food chemical safety and dietary supplement policy and...

On November 29, 2024, the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) that would update the December 2, 2022, proposed significant new use rules (SNUR) for 17 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMN) and are also subject to an Order issued by EPA pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 89 Fed. Reg. 94642. The SNURs would require persons who intend to manufacture (defined...

On November 22, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia entered two consent decrees establishing deadlines for completing risk evaluations for 20 High-Priority Chemicals and two manufacturer-requested risk evaluations (MRRE). The Community In-Power and Development Association Inc. (CIDA), v. EPA, Case No. 1:23-cv-02715. As reported in our May 10, 2024, memorandum, CIDA, the Learning Disabilities Association of America, Louisiana Environmental Action Network, Sierra Club, and...

On November 29, 2024, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that petitions have been filed to add the following chemicals to the list of taxable substances: Di-isobutyl ketone (89 Fed. Reg. 94879): ALTIVIA Ketones & Additives, LLC, an exporter of di-isobutyl ketone, filed the petition. According to the petition, di-isobutyl ketone is an organic compound that is used in solvents; paints and coatings; automobile refinishing; and pharmaceuticals. Di-isobutyl ketone is made from...

The Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a hearing on December 5, 2024, titled “Examining the Public Health Impacts of PFAS Exposures.” The Subcommittee will hear from the following witnesses: Laurel Schaider, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Environmental Chemistry and Engineering, Silent Spring Institute; Sue Fenton, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Human Health and...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on November 20, 2024, the launch of the Tackling Emerging Contaminants (TEC) initiative, a new, no-cost technical assistance effort focused on reducing exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other emerging contaminants in small or disadvantaged communities. According to EPA, the objective of the TEC Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) is to support small or disadvantaged communities assess and address...

On November 20, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an extension to the comment period for the notice published September 30, 2024, seeking public comment on the manufacture of certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), during the fluorination of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and other plastic containers to inform regulations as appropriate under the...

On November 14, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of its third annual progress report, “highlighting the significant achievements the agency has made under its PFAS Strategic Roadmap and the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government strategy to protect communities from the impacts of forever chemicals.” According to EPA’s press release, progress on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during the Biden-Harris Administration includes:...

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) New Approach Methodologies (NAM) Use for Regulatory Application (NURA) program has announced two upcoming webinars in the DyNAMic Discussions series. This webinar series invites speakers to share candid perspectives on how they have overcome barriers to apply NAMs in their fields and discuss how these examples can be used to promote the use of NAMs in other situations. November 14, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (EST): Next steps toward the...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) announced on October 16, 2024, several key outcomes from a workshop held to develop a research roadmap leading to short- and long-term science-based solutions to meet the challenges posed by the discovery of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in agricultural soils and waters. ARS, its Center of Excellence for Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation, and the University of Maine collaborated during the workshop to...