All Knowledge & Insights By Date

EPA Extends Comment Period On RCRA Corrosive Dust Petition For Six Months: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on June 10, 2016, extended until December 7, 2016, the comment period on its April 11, 2016 (81 Fed. Reg. 21295) tentative denial of a petition by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) to amend regulations under 40 C.F.R. § 261.22 regarding the definition of corrosive hazardous wastes under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). 81...

On June 2, 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced an extension for the abstract submission deadline for the Bioenergy 2016 poster session. Abstract submissions were originally due June 3, 2016, but have been extended through June 10, 2016. Poster submitters will still be notified of acceptance by June 17, 2016. Abstracts must fit the following guidelines: Not exceed the maximum of 300 words;   Explain validity and technical merit of the approach;   Discuss how the poster...

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) recently submitted several draft guidance documents concerning nanomaterials to Partner Expert Groups (PEG) for consultation.  Following consultation with PEGs, ECHA will consult its committees and/or Forum, where relevant.  The final consultation will be with the European Commission (EC) and the relevant Competent Authorities.  To ensure that the guidance updating process is transparent and open to participation by relevant partners, ECHA will...

On June 9, 2016, James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant at Bergeson & Campbell P.C. (B&C®), was quoted in a Boston Commons High Tech Network article on the passage of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act overhauling the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Jim Aidala, a former EPA official who is now with consultants Bergeson & Campbell PC, said the legislation helps define which toxic chemicals the EPA can regulate.

In May 2016, the UK Nanosafety Group (UKNSG) published a second edition of its guidance document, Working Safely with Nanomaterials in Research & Development.  The second edition of the guidance provides updates to account for changes in legislation, recent studies in the literature, and best practice since 2012.  In particular, according to the guidance, specific sections have been revised to account for the full implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are pleased to announce that Michael S. Wenk, M.S., has joined our teams as Senior Regulatory Consultant. Mr. Wenk has managed global regulatory affairs and product stewardship divisions at Fortune 500 chemical and chemical product companies for over 20 years and is an internationally-recognized expert in chemical registration and regulation in Central and South America, and the Middle East. With a Master's Degree in...

On May 3, 3016, Mexico's Ministry of Economy published a notice beginning a public consultation on two draft nanotechnology standards. ISO/TS 80004-5:2011 lists terms and definitions related to the interface between nanomaterials and biology. It is intended to facilitate communications between scientists, engineers, technologists, designers, manufacturers, regulators, non-governmental organizations (NGO), consumer organizations, members of the public, and others.

On May 10, 2016, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued guidelines on highly hazardous pesticides (HHP) (Guidelines) as part of the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management (Code of Conduct).  HHPs are defined in the Guidelines as “pesticides that are acknowledged to present particularly high levels of acute or chronic hazards to health or environment according to internationally accepted...

On May 3, 3016, Mexico’s Ministry of Economy published a notice beginning a public consultation on two draft nanotechnology standards.  Proposed standard PROY-NMX-R-80004-5-SCFI-2015 is identical to ISO/TS 80004-5:2011, “Nanotechnologies — Vocabulary — Part 5:  Nano/bio interface.”  ISO/TS 80004-5:2011 lists terms and definitions related to the interface between nanomaterials and biology.  It is intended to facilitate communications between...

On May 24, 2016, Iowan Governor Terry Branstad signed Senate File 2309, an Act providing for tax credits and refunds relating to renewable fuels including their component biofuels and including effective date provisions. The bill extends a state biodiesel production tax credit providing 2 cents per gallon (cpg) on the first 25 million gallons of production per biodiesel plant. The bill also extends a credit for petroleum retailers of 4.5 cpg on blends of 5 percent biodiesel or more through the...

On June 1, 2016, the German Environment Agency (UBA) published a report entitled Nanomaterials in the environment:  Current state of knowledge and regulations on chemical safety.  The aim of the report is to outline the necessary further development of chemicals regulations for nanomaterials with regard to the environment from UBA’s perspective.  The report is addressed “particularly to players and decision-makers involved in discussions related to the adaptation of the various...

TSCA/FIFRA/IRIS/NTP/TRI TSCA Reform Bill Is Sent To President Obama For Signature: It has been reported that on June 14, 2016, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate President Pro Tempore Orrin Hatch (R-UT) signed the bill to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), sending it to President Barack Obama for his signature. On June 7, 2016, the Senate passed the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act by voice vote. It is anticipated that President Obama will...

Chemical Watch complimentary webinar series on the "new" TSCA.  The first webinar, "TSCA Overview and Summary of Major Changes: What to Expect and When to Expect It" features panelists Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell P.C.; Richard A. Denison, Ph.D., Lead Senior Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund; Charles M. Auer, Charles Auer & Associates, LLC, former Director of the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), U.S....

On May 31, 2016, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) began a public consultation on a harmonized classification and labeling (CLH) proposal submitted by France for titanium dioxide. The CLH report states: "Based on available evidence and information in the registration dossier (e.g. mechanism of carcinogenicity, characterization of the particles), the proposed scope for the Annex VI entry is: ‘Titanium dioxide in all phases and phase combinations; particles in all sizes/morphologies.'"

On March 14, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed much-anticipated amendments to the Risk Management Program (RMP) regulations. This column summarizes the proposed amendments and industry’s response to them. The genesis of the proposal is President Obama’s Executive Order (EO) 13650, which was issued in the aftermath of the catastrophic explosion that occurred in April 2013 that claimed 15 lives in West, Texas. The EO requires various federal agencies to develop...

? Joint BioEnergy Institute, "JBEI Scientists Unravel Omics Data Using Systems Biology-Based Workflow to Improve Biofuels Productivity" ? BBC, "Pembroke Dock Seaweed Farm to Study Algae As Biofuel" ? SeeNews Renewables, "CropEnergies To Restart Wilton, UK Plant For Trial Run" ? Ethanol Producer Magazine, "EIA Predicts Increased Ethanol Production, Consumption" ? San Diego Business Journal, "Appetite for Algae" ? The Guardian, "Shell Creates...

The Swiss National Science Foundation issued a May 12, 2016, press release announcing that researchers from the National Research Program “Opportunities and Risks of Nanomaterials” have developed a new model to track the flow of the “most important nanomaterials in the environment.”  To assess how man-made nanoparticles make their way into the air, earth, or water, researchers developed a computer model to determine the environmental accumulation of nanosilver, nanozinc, nano-titanium...