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?   Reuters, “Genscape Says It Will Fight EPA Move to Boot It from Biofuels Program”   ?   University of Bath, “Scientists Make Plastic from Christmas Trees”   ?   Washington Examiner, “Energy, Farm Policy Collide in the New Congress”   ?   Growth Energy, “Poll: Trump Voters Overwhelmingly Support Ethanol”   ? PETROSS, “Dual-Purpose Biofuel Crops Could Extend Production, Increase Profits”

On January 16, 2017, AkzoNobel announced the launch of Imagine Chemistry, which provides start-up firms, students, research groups, and career scientists an opportunity to collaborate with AkzoNobel experts to solve real-life chemistry-related challenges.  Imagine Chemistry will focus on addressing issues within five topic areas: ?   Revolutionizing plastics recycling;   ?   Wastewater-free chemical sites;   ?   Cellulose-based alternatives to synthetics;...

On January 13, 2017, the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), together with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), announced the intent to issue a request for applications (RFA) titled “Fiscal Year 17 Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI).”  Projects funded through BRDI must address one of the foll owing topic areas:   ?   Feedstocks development :  Research, development, and demonstration...

The biofuels industry is likely to face increasingly challenging times during the tenures of the new 115 th Congress -- which began on January 3 -- and the Trump Administration, scheduled to begin this Friday, January 20.   Throughout his campaign for President, Trump repeatedly pledged his support for biofuels and the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Indeed, it is this support that helped Trump win in key Midwestern battleground states, including Iowa. Despite this, Trump has...

On January 6, 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and USDA announced a $22.7 million funding opportunity to support integrated biorefinery (IBR) optimization, with DOE providing up to $19.8 million and USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) providing up to $2.9 million .  To date, there are only a limited number of pioneer-scale commercial IBRs in the early stages of start-up and production, due to the technical and non-technical challenges associated with the...

On January 4, 2017, the White House announced the release of the 2017 Update to the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology. The 2017 Update provides a comprehensive summary of the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with respect to regulating biotechnology products. Together with the National Strategy for Modernizing the Regulatory System for...

The attorneys, scientists, policy experts, and regulatory advisors of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), The Acta Group (Acta®), and B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM) endeavor year-round to keep you informed on key developments as they happen, and prepared for looming changes and deadlines, to help you maintain compliance and competitive advantage as you market your products throughout the world. As the new year begins, we offer you this look back at the top stories of 2016...

On January 4, 2017, the White House announced the release of the 2017 Update to the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology.  The 2017 Update provides a comprehensive summary of the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with respect to regulating biotechnology products.  Together with the National Strategy for Modernizing the...

?   Neste, “Neste the Winner in the Industry Leader Award Biofuels Category at the 2016 Global Energy Awards”    ?   DOE, “DOE Announces $15 Million to Accelerate the Deployment of Energy Efficient Transportation Technologies”    ?   DOE, “Envisioning the Economic and Environmental Outcomes of Tripling the U.S. Bioeconomy”   ?   Plastics Today, “Bioplastics Highlights:  A Last Look Back at...

On December 28, 2016, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that six projects had been selected for a funding opportunity of up to $12.9 million titled “Project Definition for Pilot- and Demonstration-Scale Manufacturing of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biopower.”  The projects, which revolve around technology development plans for the manufacture of advanced or cellulosic biofuels, bioproducts, refinery-compatible intermediates, and biopower in a pilot- or demonstration-scale...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton On January 4, 2017, the White House announced the release of the 2017 Update to the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology (2017 Update).  The Update to the Coordinated Framework provides a comprehensive summary of the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with respect to regulating biotechnology...

Predictions and Outlook for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) 2017 Click here for a PDF brochure of the memorandum 2016 was full of surprises, two of which will drive much of the agenda for OCSPP during 2017. First, Congress significantly amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The changes are intended to reform the program to address the widely recognized deficiencies in the law, especially regarding existing chemicals, chemical testing,...

Lynn L. Bergeson was quoted in the December 28, 2016, Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report story "Biobased Chemical, Fuel Makers Seek Parity For Their Products Under Trump" (subscription required): Biobased chemical and fuel manufacturers want their products to be treated equally with their fossil fuel-based counterparts under the incoming administration's policies. [...]  Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of the Washington D.C.-based Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., which...

Lynn L. Bergeson was quoted in the December 28, 2016, Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report story "Biobased Chemical, Fuel Makers Seek Parity For Their Products Under Trump" (subscription required): Biobased chemical and fuel manufacturers want their products to be treated equally with their fossil fuel-based counterparts under the incoming administration's policies. [...]  Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of the Washington D.C.-based Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.,...

On December 15, 2016,  the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) of up to $8 million dollars, subject to appropriations, for innovative technologies that assist in the advancement of algae bioenergy and bioproducts.  The FOA consists of two topic areas, including strain improvement for the development of enhanced algal strains, and algae cultivation biology improvement for the development of increased areal productivity and biofuel yield....

?  U.S. Energy Information Administration , “ EIA Forecasts Continued Biomass-Based Diesel Growth Due to Final 2017 RFS Targets”   ?  Renewable Fuels Association, “DOE Data:  Half of United States Broke Through So-Called “Blend Wall” in 2015”   ?  Corbion, “Corbion and Kraton Receive First European Certification for Biobased Products”   ?  The Lenzing Group, “Lenzing Invests in New TENCEL®...

?   Tetra Pak, “Tetra Pak Gets Closer to Fully Renewable Packaging Goal with New Aseptic Carton”    ?   Danimer Scientific, “MHG Debuts New Corporate Identity”    ?   Leaf Resources, “Leaf Resources And Novozymes Launch Biomass-to-Sugars Collaboration”    ?   Amyris, “Amyris Partners with Queensland to Create the Leading Industrial Biotechnology Hub in Southeast Asia”    ?   Suez,...

?   Aimplas,“Improved Bioplastics for Sustainable Food Packages”   ?   European Bioplastics, “‘Rethinking Plastics’ -- Insights into the Bioplastic Materials of the Future”   ?   Renewable Fuels Association, “RFA Welcomes New Member Valero Renewable Fuels Company LLC”   ?   California Institute of Technology, “Bringing Silicon to Life”   ?   University of Wisconsin-Madison, “Food...

On November 29, 2016, Green Biologics, Inc. (Green Biologics) announced that its high purity biobased n-butanol and acetone received certification under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) BioPreferred® program.  Both products, which are produced through the fermentation of sugars from renewable feedstocks, were certified as 100 percent biobased.  In the early stages of its first commercial production facility, Green Biologics aims to produce commercial n-butanol and...

?   Department of Energy, “Fact Sheet: Obama Administration Announces New Financing For Renewable Energy Projects and Actions to Spur Innovation and Promote Energy Access Globally”    ?   Department of Agriculture, “USDA Resumes Incentives to Grow the Bioeconomy and Improve Forest Health”   ?   Iowa State University, “Iowa State University Scientists Explore Environmental Advantages of Horticultural Bioplastics”    ?...