TSCA/FIFRA/IRIS/NTP/TRI Office Of Inspector General Considers Pesticide Imports: In a memorandum dated April 22, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) informed EPA that it plans "to begin preliminary research to assess the EPA's inspections of, and enforcement against, illegal pesticide imports." OIG will review, among other aspects of the program, whether EPA is effectively identifying pesticide imports for inspection and sampling,...
Category: General
On April 22, 2016, EPA published Amendments Related to: Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards as a final rule in the Federal Register. This final action amends the RFS Quality Assurance Program (QAP) rule to exempt downstream end users of renewable fuels from product transfer document (PTD) requirements. EPA originally added the PTD requirements to the QAP rule, requiring parties taking ownership of renewable fuel to use the fuel for transportation -- parties would incur a renewable...
On April 15, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent its newly proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes for 2017 and 2018 to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Under the Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA must set standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel by November 30 of the year before the standard is set for, and 14 months before the year that the biodiesel standard is set for. EPA's issuance...
April 28, 2016
Registration Now Open for 2016 U.S.-EU: Bridging NanoEHS Research Efforts Joint Workshop
Registration is now open for the June 6-7, 2016, U.S.-European Union (EU) “Bridging NanoEHS Research Efforts” joint workshop. The workshop will bring together the U.S.-EU Communities of Research (COR), which serve as a platform for U.S. and EU scientists to share information on nanotechnology environmental, health, and safety (nanoEHS) research. The goal of the workshop is to publicize progress towards COR goals and objectives, clarify and communicate future plans, share best...
Registration is now open for the June 6-7, 2016, U.S.-European Union (EU) "Bridging NanoEHS Research Efforts" joint workshop. See https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-wZatJVQ3b9LSx9rrJeeEZqFO-8DZVs-80txK-9DBmQ/viewform and http://us-eu.org/2016%20-us-eu-nanoehs-workshop/ The workshop will bring together the U.S.-EU Communities of Research (COR), which serve as a platform for U.S. and EU scientists to share information on nanotechnology environmental, health, and safety (nanoEHS)...
As many of our clients and friends know, George W. Wilson, Jr. died last November. George served as Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.'s (B&C®) chief technology officer for many years. To those of us who knew and worked with George, we loved his passion for life, we relied upon his expertise in information technology, and we appreciated and benefitted from his vision for the seamless integration of business, information technology, and accounting. Many more who did not have the pleasure of...
On April 18, 2016, Neste, BRAG member, announced that KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will be using a fuel blend containing Neste Renewable Jet Fuel for a series of flights from Oslo to Amsterdam. Kaisa Hietala, Executive Vice President of Renewable Products at Neste, stated: "[w]e are very happy that KLM is using Neste Renewable Jet Fuel in dozens of flights from Oslo to Amsterdam. It shows that KLM is a pioneer in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from aviation." KLM will use Neste's...
On April 8, 2016, the California State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Commission) sued Mendota Bioenergy LLC, claiming it improperly spent public money targeted for equipment purchases. The bioenergy company entered into an agreement with the Commission in March 2013 to construct and operate a 10,000 ton beet to ethanol demonstration plant. After amending the agreement, Mendota agreed to build a 2,400 ton demonstration plant with the Commission providing nearly $5...
On April 18, 2016, the Silver Nanotechnology Working Group (SNWG) submitted comments on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) draft NIOSH Current Intelligence Bulletin: Health Effects of Occupational Exposure to Silver Nanomaterials. The draft Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB) includes a review and assessment of the currently available scientific literature on the toxicological effects of exposure to silver nanoparticles in...
April 21, 2016
Lynn L. Bergeson, “SNWG Submits Comments on NIOSH Draft CIB on Silver Nanomaterials,” Nanotechnology Now, April 21, 2016.
On April 18, 2016, the Silver Nanotechnology Working Group (SNWG) submitted comments on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) draft NIOSH Current Intelligence Bulletin: Health Effects of Occupational Exposure to Silver Nanomaterials. See https://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=CDC-2016-0001-0017 and https://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=CDC-2016-0001-0002 The draft Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB) includes a review and...
On April 13, 2016, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), the European Environmental Citizens’ Organization for Standardization (ECOS), and the Oeko-Institut issued a press release announcing the availability of the Declaration on Waste Containing Nanomaterials. According to the press release, over 80 signatories have endorsed the Declaration, “demonstrating overwhelming support for the demand to categorize waste containing manufactured nanomaterials as...
April 19, 2016
National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) Western Region Meeting, April 19 – 23, 2016, Kohala Coast, Hawaii
B&C attorney Lisa R. Burchi presented “Regulatory Updates and Enforcement Trends.”
April 19, 2016
Adhesive and Sealant Council Spring Convention, April 18 – 20, 2016, New Orleans, Louisiana
The ASC Spring Convention & EXPO was held April 18-20, 2016 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverfront. This three day event included concurrent technical sessions focusing on business development and market trends, government relations issues, and advanced technology. B&C Managing Partner Lynn L. Bergeson presented.
The Michigan Safety Conference was an annual two-day health and safety training event, targeted at workplace health and safety issues. B&C Senior Regulatory Consultant Christopher R. Bryant, presented "Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security: An Update on Federal Action" on April 19, 2016.
April 18, 2016
Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) Science Forum, April 18 – 21, 2016, Washington, D.C.
The GMA Science Forum educated scientists and decision makers within the food, beverage, and consumer products industry. This forum examined the most newsworthy regulatory and legislative issues affecting manufacturers across the globe. Lynn L. Bergeson moderated the session "TSCA Reform: What Does It Mean?" on April 19, 2016.
The BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology was the world's largest industrial biotechnology event for business leaders, investors, and policy makers in biofuels, biobased products, and renewable chemicals. Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. was a proud sponsor.
April 15, 2016
Jim Aidala Presents “FQPA 20 Years Later: The Evolution Of Science” At CropLife America Spring Conference
On April 14, 2016, James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant at Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., presented regarding the evolution of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) at the CropLife RISE Spring Conference in Arlington, Virginia. FQPA was created to amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). During “FQPA 20 Years Later: The Evolution of Science,” Mr. Aidala discussed the history and creation of...
April 15, 2016
Lynn L. Bergeson, “OSHA Revises Silica Standards,” Chemical Processing, April 15, 2016.
On March 25, 2016, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its long-awaited revised standards for occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica (81 Fed. Reg. 16286). OSHA issued two separate standards — one for general industry and maritime, and the other for the construction industry — to tailor requirements to the unique circumstances found in these sectors. The rule impacts more than 2.3-million American workers across a wide spectrum of industries,...
April 13, 2016
OSTP Blog Item Notes Recent Reports Highlighting Continued Federal Commitment To NanoEHS
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) posted on April 11, 2016, a blog item, authored by Lloyd Whitman, OSTP, and Dr. Treye Thomas, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), entitled “Supporting Responsible Development of Nanotechnology.” The item states that the following reports released in March 2016 highlight federal investments and activities in the area of nanotechnology environmental, health, and safety (nanoEHS) research, progress, and needs in understanding...
The European Commission (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC) recently published a report entitled NANoREG harmonised terminology for environmental health and safety assessment of nanomaterials, developed within the NANoREG project: “A common European approach to the regulatory testing of nanomaterials.” The report states that it represents the project’s attempt at bringing common understanding and consistency in the use of key terms in the environmental health and safety (EHS) assessment...