On May 2, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Federal Register notice announcing publication of its Final 2016 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan. The Plan describes EPA's Clean Water Act rulemakings and other actions intended to control industrial wastewater pollution.
Category: General
As reported in our February 16, 2018, blog item, the European Commission (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC) has opened a call to access its Nanobiotechnology Laboratory. The Nanobiotechnology Laboratory features state-of-the-art equipped facilities designed to foster interdisciplinary studies. Offering access to the Nanobiotechnology Laboratory is part of JRC’s strategy to enhance dissemination of scientific knowledge; boost competiveness; bridge the gap between...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT or the Office) has decided to delay its pending reorganization to take and consider staff comments on the revised reorganization. The new plan proposes a six division structure that has separate new and existing chemical risk management divisions complemented by separate new and existing chemical risk assessment divisions. OPPT’s other functions are proposed to be...
Washington D.C. May 1, 2018: Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) Managing Partner Lynn L. Bergeson has been named one of the “Top 50: 2018 Women Super Lawyers” by Thompson Reuters’ Super Lawyers Washington, D.C. edition. Each year, Super Lawyers recognizes top lawyers via a multiphase selection process involving peer nomination, independent research, and peer evaluation. The lawyers who receive the highest point totals during this selection process...
May 1, 2018
James V. Aidala Quoted In Bloomberg Environment Article “EPA Could Face Legal Minefield With Open Data Rule”
On May 1, 2018, James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant with Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), was quoted by Bloomberg Environment regarding an open data policy proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Jim Aidala, the former head of the EPA’s chemicals office, said the agency can avoid some of these potential pitfalls if it does a thorough job of laying out its reasoning when it issues the final version of this science policy rule....
TSCA/FIFRA/TRI Webinar: TSCA at 2: An Update on Implementation and Hot Topics: June 25, 2018 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (EDT) Register Today Presenters: Nancy B. Beck, Ph.D., D.A.B.T.® Deputy Assistant Administrator Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lynn L. Bergeson Managing Partner Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) Others to be announced soon. Overview: Since enactment on June 22, 2016, of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety...
Changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) occasioned by enactment of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act have fundamentally changed the way the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviews new and assesses existing chemical substances in surprising and subtle ways. Our 26-professionals TSCA practice in Washington, D.C. has been “doing TSCA” for a very long time. We offer our European colleagues practical insights into the new law and EPA’s...
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced on March 2, 2018, that it will begin enforcing certain requirements of the 2017 final rule on occupational exposure to beryllium in general industry, construction, and shipyards on May 11, 2018, and that it will delay enforcement of certain other standards. This column discusses the final rule and OSHA’s recent enforcement policy.
On April 30, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will publish in the Federal Register a proposed rule entitled "Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science" (Science Rule) that EPA states is intended to “strengthen the transparency of EPA regulatory science.” EPA states in the preamble that “[t]he proposed regulation provides that when EPA develops regulations, including regulations for which the public is likely to bear the cost of compliance,...
April 27, 2018
James V. Aidala and Richard E. Engler Quoted By Bloomberg Environment Regarding Proposed Public Data Plan
On April 27, 2018, James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant with Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and Richard E. Engler, Senior Chemist with B&C, were quoted in the Bloomberg Environment article “Pesticide Makers Back Public-Data Plan—But Not for Trade Secrets.” If the agency sticks with the $100 million threshold under the executive order, then the EPA decisions on whether new chemicals can enter commerce would largely be unaffected, as most...
The NACD Washington Fly-In brought chemical distributors and their supply chain partners from around the country to meet with their elected officials in Washington, DC to educate Members of Congress and push for important policy goals. Meeting face-to-face with legislators is the most effective way to get your message heard on Capitol Hill. Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), was a proud sponsor.
April 26, 2018
REACH Committee Approves Draft Regulation to Amend the REACH Annexes to Address Nanomaterials
The European Commission (EC) Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Committee voted on April 26, 2018, to amend several REACH Annexes to clarify the registration requirements for nanomaterials. According to the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) press release, the amendments address the knowledge gap regarding which substances registered under REACH are placed on the market as nanomaterials and in what quantities. ECHA states that the...
April 26, 2018
Administrator Pruitt’s Testimony at Budget Hearing Addresses Science Rule and Ethics Issues
On April 26, 2018, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt was grilled by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Environment at a hearing titled The Fiscal Year 2019 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Budget. The budget was plainly not the primary topic as the House Committee Members covered a lot of ground. Pruitt fielded many questions and comments from House Democrats on his alleged...
April 25, 2018
Society for Chemical Hazard Communication (SCHC) Spring 2018 Meeting, April 21-25, 2018, Orlando, Florida
The SCHC Spring 2018 Meeting included professional development courses, a board meeting open to all members, and a general meeting with poster session. Michael S. Wenk, M.S., Senior Regulatory Consultant with Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), presented on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) in Central America and Mexico.
April 25, 2018
European Parliament Approves New Law on Organic Production and Labeling of Organic Products
On April 19, 2018, the European Parliament (EP) approved a regulation on organic production and labeling of organic products. Under the regulation, the production of processed organic food will be based on several specific principles, including the exclusion of food containing or consisting of engineered nanomaterials. The regulation defines engineered nanomaterial as defined in the 2011 regulation on the provision of food information to consumers as amended in 2015 by...
We are pleased to report that on April 20, 2018, the American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Institute (GCI) announced the opening of the 2018 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Readers will recall that funding for this essential program was zeroed out in the last several budget proposals advanced by the Trump Administration. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enacted budget apparently includes the resources to continue to support the Green Chemistry Challenge...
On April 24, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would be presenting a webinar to assist processors with reporting under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory Notification (Active-Inactive) Rule, published in the Federal Register on August 11, 2017. This webinar, scheduled for May 23, 2018, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EDT) will “include an overview of reporting requirements for processors, a demonstration of the electronic...
On April 24, 2018, the U.S. - Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) Stakeholder Group announced that a 2018 RCC Stakeholder Event will be held on; June 4-5, 2018, in Washington, D.C. to “bring together senior regulatory officials, industry, and other members of the public on both sides of the border to provide progress reports on existing RCC work plans and to discuss new opportunities for regulatory cooperation.” The announcement states that details regarding the 2018 RCC Stakeholder...
On April 16, 2018, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a report entitled “EU Insights — Consumer perceptions of emerging risks in the food chain.” To understand better the views of European Union (EU) consumers on food-related emerging risks, EFSA surveyed 25 EU countries using three examples of emerging risks: green smoothies, plastic rice, and nanoparticles. According to the report, the study found that consumers tended to be more concerned about...
On April 19, 2018, the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule entitled “Strengthening Transparency and Validity in Regulatory Science.” This new proposed rule, item 2080-AA14, has not been published in the regulatory agenda; the only information available concerning the content of this rule is its title. On April 11, 2018, OIRA received an advanced...