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Wednesday, April 30, 2014, from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. The European Union (EU) Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) dramatically changes the way biocidal active substances and products, as well as many products not traditionally considered biocidal products, are regulated under European law. Practical aspects of this new regulatory system are subtly different from those in other jurisdictions, EU neighboring countries, and the U.S. Companies exporting to the EU as a component of their global...

Whatever window of opportunity exists to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act is closing. This is not only because the mid-term elections are fast approaching, or that there are too few legislative days left this session, or even that Congress is polarized and achieving passage of complicated chemical legislation seems intuitively beyond reach. It is also because of the emergence of international and state chemical management frameworks. This article is from the Environmental Law...

API, AFPM, and ExxonMobil urged EPA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to eliminate the ability of biodiesel producers to sever RINs from batches of fuels produced as part of an upcoming final rule establishing a quality assurance program for the fuels credit market. The rule, as proposed, would establish qualifications for third-party auditors who would determine the validity of the RINs. It would also establish audit procedures for renewable fuel production facilities, including...

On April 11, 2014, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to place a hold on their challenge to EPA's 2013 RFS final rule until EPA completes its reconsideration of the rule. EPA joined in the motion. Just days earlier, on Monday, April 7, 2014, the parties to the litigation challenging EPA's 2013 final RFS rule, including API, AFPM, and EPA, were in court...

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) will hold a topical scientific workshop on October 23-24, 2014, on regulatory challenges in the risk assessment of nanomaterials.  The workshop will bring together experts in the field of risk assessment of nanomaterials to discuss and update scientific principles and guidelines for assessing human health and environmental risks of chemicals substances in nanoform. According to ECHA, the workshop will also provide a platform for academia...

Genomatica and Renmatix have been selected as winners of the 2014 Bloomberg New Energy Pioneers Award for developing process technologies to produce widely-used renewable chemicals. A copy of Genomatica's press release on the award is available online. More information about the annual Bloomberg New Energy Pioneers Award is available at www.newenergypioneers.com.

On April 3, 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it has launched a website that provides details on Farm Bill implementation. The website provides useful information on USDA's implementation of the Farm Bill and includes information on the economic implications of the bill's implementation prepared by the Economic Research Service.

On April 8, 2014, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) held a hearing to consider the following three nominees for EPA posts: Janet McCabe, nominated for EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR); Ann Dunkin, nominated for EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Environmental Information; and Manny Ehrlich, nominated to be a member of the Chemical Safety Board. Consideration of the nomination of McCabe to become Assistant Administrator...

On April 8, 2014, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry held a hearing on "Advanced Biofuels: Creating Jobs and Lower Prices at the Pump." The following witnesses testified at the hearing: Mr. Richard Childress, CEO, Richard Childress Racing, LLC; Mr. Jan Koninckx, Global Business Director for Biorefineries, DuPont Industrial Biosciences; Mr. Brooke Coleman, Executive Director, Advanced Ethanol Council; Dr. Sumesh Arora, Vice President, Innovate Mississippi,...

On April 8, 2014, House Committee on Ways and Means Chair Dave Camp (R-MI) held a hearing on the "Benefits of Permanent Tax Policy for America's Job Creators." The hearing focused on the expiring business tax provisions that are made permanent or extended under Camp's recently released discussion draft of the "Tax Reform Act of 2014" (TRA). Unlike his Senate counterpart -- Senate Committee on Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) -- Camp is not very supportive of passing a...

Earlier this month, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and its European partners published a position paper on the regulation of nanomaterials at a meeting of the European Union (EU) competent authorities. According to the position paper, current EU legislation “does not guarantee that all nanomaterials on the market are safe by being assessed separately from the bulk form of the substance.” The position paper asks the European Commission (EC) to...

On March 7, 2014, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) released a proposal for a draft regulation amending Proposition 65 regulations. The proposal seeks changes to the warning requirements to include more detailed information, including the names of the chemicals covered by individual warnings, the ways that individuals are exposed to these chemicals, and how individuals can avoid or reduce their exposure to these chemicals. This column explains this proposal...

On April 3, 2014, the Senate Committee on Finance marked up its version of a tax extenders package, the "Expiring Provisions Improvement Reform and Efficiency (EXPIRE) Act." The EXPIRE Act includes extensions through December 31, 2015 (and retroactive to January 1, 2014) of the following key biofuels incentives that have expired: the Alternative Fuel Refueling Property Credit; the Second Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credit; the Special Depreciation Allowance for Second Generation...

On March 28, 2014, Representatives Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Steve Womack (R-AR), and Peter Welch (D-VT) sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy with targeted questions related to the implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The four Members of Congress all believe the RFS is not working in its current form. Last fall, they introduced H.R. 1462, the "RFS Reform Act," which eliminates corn-based ethanol...

The Acta Group, L.L.C. (Acta), a regulatory consulting firm with offices in the U.S., UK, and China, and Sustainable Health, Environment, and Safety Chemical Consulting (SHES) of South Korea announced today the formation of a new strategic alliance. By joining Acta's exceptional capabilities in China, Europe, and the Americas with SHES' broad experience in South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and South Asia, the Acta-SHES alliance offers clients expanded, seamless access to a comprehensive...

TSCA/FIFRA/IRIS/EPCRA EPA Makes TSCA Notifications Of Substantial Risk Amendable To Electronic Reporting: On March 19, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that notifications of substantial risk under Section 8(e) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and voluntary For Your Information (FYI) submissions may now be filed electronically using EPA's electronic document submission system, the Central Data Exchange (CDX). 79 Fed. Reg. 15329. Use of this electronic...

On Feb. 7, 2014, EPA issued a final rule under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act authorizing the use of electronic hazardous waste manifests. The final rule will have immediate implications for virtually all domestic manufacturers of hazardous waste. This column explains why.

On March 31, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it issued an order to Pathway Investment Corp. of Englewood, New Jersey to stop the sale of plastic food storage containers that have not been tested or registered with EPA, in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). According to EPA’s press release, the company’s Kinetic Go Green Premium Food Storage Containers and Kinetic Smartwist Series Containers contain...