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The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published standard ISO/TR 18401:2017, “Nanotechnologies — Plain language explanation of selected terms from the ISO/IEC 80004 series.”  The standard is intended to assist stakeholders who are making decisions about the direction, management, and application of nanotechnologies to understand better selected key terms and definitions in the ISO/IEC 80004 vocabulary series for nanotechnologies.  The standard offers...

Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), will speak at the NanoBusiness Commercialization Association’s (NanoBCA) 15th Annual Conference, which will be held June 14, 2016, in New York City, New York. The conference will include leading experts from private industry who are commercializing nanomaterials. Nanotechnology leaders such as Jim Phillips, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NanoMech, Charles van Fleet, President of Swan Chemical,...

On June 1, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submitted its final rulemaking on the Procedures for Evaluating Existing Chemical Risks under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.   EPA’s proposed rule describes a process for conducting risk evaluations to determine whether a chemical substance presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment, including an unreasonable risk to...

International Renewable Energy Agency, “Renewable Energy Employs 9.8 Million People Worldwide, New IRENA Report Finds” E&E News, “Are Advanced Biofuels Ready for Takeoff?” University of Pittsburgh, “Fueling the Future” Tomsk Polytechnic University, “How Gold Can Recycle Biofuel Waste into Useful Additive” GoodFuel, “‘Goodshipping Program’ Hands Cargo Owners Control of Their Carbon Footprint”

By Lauren M. Graham, Ph.D. On May 30, 2017, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (DOC) International Trade Association announced in the Federal Register a public meeting of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee (REEEAC).  The meeting will take place in Washington, D.C. on July 27, 2017.  REEEAC is focused on export promotion for the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors.  During the meeting, REEEAC will discuss next steps for each...

By Lauren M. Graham, Ph.D. On May 23, 2017, President Trump released the Administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2018, which includes significant cuts to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) budgets.  According to the proposed budget, funding for DOE would be cut by 5.6 percent to $28 billion, with $636 million allotted for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy...

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recently announced publication of standard ISO/TS 18827:2017, “Nanotechnologies — Electron spin resonance (ESR) as a method for measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by metal oxide nanomaterials.”  The introduction states that the use of metal or metal oxide-based nanomaterials has dramatically increased in biomedical and industrial applications.  The scientific basis for the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of most...

Join the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health on June 27, 2017, for a day-long conference exploring the federal government’s implementation of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which significantly amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), just over one year after it was signed into law. This event is free and open to the public. Speakers will discuss key...

On June 5, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is scheduled to publish in the Federal Register a notice of public meetings and a notice regarding the establishment of the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (NRC).  The NRC’s objective is to “negotiate a proposed rule that would limit chemical data reporting requirements under Section 8(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), [as amended], for manufacturers of any inorganic byproduct chemical substances...

On May 30, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit responded to two petitions for review of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) conditional registration of a nanosilver pesticide product and vacated the conditional registration.  NRDC v. EPA, No. 15-72308.  The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) as well as the Center for Food Safety (CFS) and the International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA) filed petitions in 2015 asking the...

On May 30, 2007, the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy (CIELAP) released a document entitled Discussion Paper on a Policy Framework for Nanotechnology, which builds on policy issues discussed at a March 16, 2007, workshop. CIELAP states that it supports a goal statement and context for nanotechnology policy that is centered on an explicit recognition and endorsement of sustainable development.  According to CIELAP, the policy challenges for nanotechnology are...

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announced on May 19, 2017, publication of Volume 111 of the IARC Monographs, Some Nanomaterials and Some Fibres.  The Monograph contains evaluations of the carcinogenic hazard to humans of fluoro-edenite fibrous amphibole, silicon carbide fibers and whiskers, and carbon nanotubes.  As reported in our November 3, 2014, blog item, a summary of the findings was published in The Lancet Oncology in...

On May 23, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submitted its final rulemaking on the Procedures for Prioritization of Chemicals for Risk Evaluation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.  In the proposed rule, EPA describes the processes for identifying potential candidates for prioritization, selecting a candidate, screening that candidate against certain criteria, formally initiating the...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to announce the publication of New TSCA: A Guide to the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act and Its Implementation, released today by the American Bar Association (ABA).  This new book is a comprehensive guide to the substantial revisions to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) occasioned by enactment of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act on June 22, 2016, to produce “new TSCA,” amending and replacing “old...

On May 24, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 953, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2017, by 256-165 vote.  H.R. 953, which is similar to bills introduced in the past three congresses, would overturn a 2009 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit decision requiring Clean Water Act (CWA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for pesticide spraying activities into, over, or near waters.  The legislation would eliminate NPDES...

By Kathleen M. Roberts On May 12, 2017, the Iowa Biodiesel Board (IBB) praised Governor Terry Branstad for signing into law the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund bill (HF 643), which provides $3 million in funding for the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program.  IBB stated that it, along with industry partners, worked closely with legislature to ensure the funding language was included in Iowa’s budget, and acknowledged Branstad for being a steadfast supporter of funding renewable...

By Lauren M. Graham, Ph.D. On May 10, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released Renewable Identification Numbers (RIN) generation data for April 2017, reporting that nearly 1.5 billion RINs were generated during the month.      Nearly 17.3 million D3 cellulosic biofuel RINs were generated in April, bringing the total for 2017 to 49.9 million, including 1.3 million D3 RINs generated for ethanol, 17.9 million generated for renewable liquefied...

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on May 24, 2017, publication of five documents that it intends to help registrants preparing dossiers that cover nanoforms ahead of the 2018 registration deadline under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation.  ECHA published two new guidance documents: Nano-specific appendix to Chapter R.6 of the Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment...

In a May 11, 2017, letter from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Assistant Administrator Wendy Cleland-Hamnett to the CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) posted by Bloomberg’s BNA Daily Environment Report, Cleland-Hamnett states that it is appropriate to grant NASDA’s request to delay implementation of all revised provisions to the agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) “until the necessary guidance and training have been...