Category: General

May 1, 2019

WEBINAR — Preserving Cosmetics on a Global Scale: It is Harder than You Think, May 22, 2019, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT

The Acta Group (Acta®) was pleased to present the complimentary webinar “Preserving Cosmetics on a Global Scale: It is Harder than You Think.” Karin F. Baron, MSPH, Senior Regulatory Consultant, Acta; Scott J. Burya, Ph.D., Regulatory Chemist, Acta; and Jane S. Vergnes, Ph.D., DABT®, Vice President, Scientific Affairs and Director of Toxicology, Acta, presented.
April 30, 2019

EPA Launches Webinar Series on TSCA Mercury Inventory Reporting Rule

On April 30, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would be hosting two webinars for companies, organizations, and individuals required to report under the Mercury Inventory Reporting Rule of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  The final rule applies to any person who manufactures (including imports) mercury or mercury-added products, or otherwise intentionally uses mercury in a manufacturing process (including processes traditionally not subject to TSCA,...
April 29, 2019

Workshop Report Published on EU-U.S. Priorities in Nanosafety

On March 5-6, 2019, a workshop on “Fostering EU‐U.S. Cooperation in Nanosafety” was held.  According to the workshop report, the workshop intended to answer two main questions: What should be the future research priorities in nanosafety and other advanced materials; and What are the opportunities for European Union (EU)‐U.S. cooperation priorities in nanosafety. The discussion was based on the state of implementation of the 2013 report, Nanosafety in Europe...
April 26, 2019

Recommendations on Priorities for IARC Monographs Include Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Nanomaterials

An Advisory Group of 29 scientists from 18 countries met on March 25-27, 2019, to recommend priorities for the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs program during 2020-2024.  The Advisory Group assessed the response to a public call for nominations and considered more than 170 unique candidate agents, including the recommended priorities remaining from a similar Advisory Group meeting convened in 2014.  The Advisory Group deliberated on all nominated agents both by...
April 26, 2019

D.C. Circuit Partially Denies Petition for Review of TSCA Inventory Rule; Holds that the Reverse Engineering Aspect of the Inventory Rule “Comes Up Short” and Remands Issue Back to EPA

On April 26, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (D.C. Circuit) issued its order on petition for review of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory Notification (Active-Inactive) Requirements (82 Fed. Reg. 37520 (Aug. 11, 2017)), which denied the petition for review on all but one claim.  Petitioner Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) challenged five distinct features of the Inventory final rule: ...
April 26, 2019

European Financial Leaders Publish Open Letter On Climate-Related Financial Risks

By Lynn L. Bergeson On April 17, 2019, Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, Francois Villeroy de Galhau, Governor of the Banque de France, and Frank Edelson, Chair of the Network for Greening the Financial Services (NGFS), published an open letter on the financial implications of global warming.  Co-signed by the NGFS coalition, consisting of 34 central banks, the letter warns of global warming’s potential damage to infrastructure and private property, negative human health...
April 26, 2019

IRFA Speaks Against SREs For The 2018 RFS Blend Levels

By Lynn L. Bergeson On April 17, 2019, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), a Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) member, spoke at a press conference alongside Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig, on how the approval of small-refinery exemptions (SRE) for the 2018 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blend levels would undermine RFS in an irreversible way.  IRFA’s Executive Director, Monte Shaw, pointed out that under current conditions all a refinery...
April 25, 2019

Innovation and New Chemicals in the TSCA Program

We have a repeat guest this week: fan favorite, Dr. Richard Engler, Bergeson & Campbell’s Director of Chemistry and Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) guru-in-residence.  I sat down with Rich to find out more about so-called “New Chemicals” and the challenges faced by not only new chemical manufacturers, but also by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in trying to fulfill its duties as a regulatory gatekeeper. As a seasoned veteran of EPA himself, where he worked for...
April 25, 2019

EPA Proposes TSCA CDR Revisions and Update to Small Manufacturer Definition for TSCA Section 8(a)

On April 25, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed rule that would amend the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 8(a) Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) requirements and the TSCA Section 8(a) size standards for small manufacturers.  84 Fed. Reg. 17692.  The current CDR rule requires manufacturers (including importers) of certain chemical substances listed on the TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory (TSCA Inventory) to report data on chemical manufacturing,...
April 24, 2019

NIOSH Seeks Comment on Proposed Information Collection Project That Will Survey Engineered Nanomaterial Occupational Safety and Health Practices

On April 23, 2019, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a Federal Register notice inviting comment on a proposed information collection project entitled “Survey of Engineered Nanomaterial Occupational Safety and Health Practices.”  The goal of the project is to assess the relevance and impact of NIOSH’s contribution to guidelines and risk mitigation practices for the safe handling of engineered nanomaterials in the workplace. ...