December 1, 2016

Lynn L. Bergeson, “Australian Draft National Standard for the Environmental Risk Management of Industrial Chemicals Addresses Nanomaterials,” Nanotechnology Now, December 1, 2016.

On November 24, 2016, the Australian Department of the Environment and Energy began a public consultation on the Draft National Standard for the Environmental Risk Management of Industrial Chemicals and a supporting Draft Explanatory Document. See http://www.environment.gov.au/protection/chemicals-management/national-standard/draft-national-standard-environmental-risk-management-industrial-chemicals  According to the Department, the primary purpose of the papers is to outline the...
November 28, 2016

Lynn L. Bergeson, “Chemical Compliance: Montreal Protocol Addresses HFCs,” Chemical Processing, November 28, 2016.

October 15, 2016, was a historic day for international climate action: nearly 200 countries reached an agreement to phase out use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) at the 28th meeting of the parties to the Montreal Protocol in Kigali, Rwanda. This column summarizes this historic event and its implications. The Montreal Protocol is the international treaty designed to protect the earth’s ozone layer by requiring the phasing out of production and use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), substances believed...
November 25, 2016

Lynn L. Bergeson, “Next Generation Compliance and Its Implications for Industry,” Environmental Quality Management, Volume 26, Issue 1, Fall 2016.

“Next Generation Compliance” is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) signature initiative intended to increase compliance with environmental regulations by using advances in pollution monitoring and information technology and by more effectively using and designing regulations and permits to reduce pollution and enhance compliance.  This column describes EPA’s initiative, discusses several examples of its applications in rulemakings and civil enforcement settlements,...
October 27, 2016

Zameer Qureshi, “The REACH Implementing Regulation on joint submission of data and data sharing: is it fair, transparent and non-discriminatory?,” Elements, the Magazine of Chemicals Northwest, Autumn, 2016.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/9 (Implementing Regulation) entered into force with retroactive effect on 26 January 2016, providing several new and important considerations and obligations for companies sharing data under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. The Implementing Regulation aspires to: (1) provide useful clarity on data sharing and data compensation under REACH by providing detail on the “fair, transparent and...
October 24, 2016

Lynn L. Bergeson, “EPA Speeds Review of Chemicals,” Chemical Processing, October 24, 2016.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is continuing its brisk pace to be on target with implementing the new requirements of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (see “Grasp the Gravity of the New TSCA,” and “EPA Releases Q&As on New TSCA”). Congress has in its sights persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals — with the goal to reduce exposures to...
October 14, 2016

Charles M. Auer, Lynn L. Bergeson, “Role of ‘Conditions of Use’ Under Sections 5 and 6 of Amended Toxics Law,” BNA Daily Environment Report, October 14, 2016.

President Barack Obama signed into law amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act on June 22. The amendments bring sweeping changes to the nation’s primary chemicals law. In this Bloomberg BNA Insights, Charles M. Auer and Lynn L. Bergeson look specifically at the role of ‘‘conditions of use’’ in Sections 5 and 6 under the amended law and other chemical exposure considerations....
September 30, 2016

Charles M. Auer, Lynn L. Bergeson, “Is The Section 5 Review Period Fixed Or Flexible In New TSCA?,” ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources PCRRTK Newsletter, September, 2016.

 Among its other requirements and authorities, Section 5 of new TSCA generally requires that a company timely submit to EPA a notice of its intent to manufacture or process a new chemical or significant new use (NC/SNU). EPA is then required to conduct a review of the Section 5(a)(1) notice and make a determination on the NC/SNU and take required additional actions. Questions have been raised as to whether the review period is fixed and...
September 20, 2016

Lynn L. Bergeson, “EPA Releases Q&As on New TSCA,” Chemical Processing, September 20, 2016.

On September 2, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released additional guidance on its implementation of the new Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in the form of additional questions and answers (Q&As). This column explains the significance of this guidance. On June 22, 2016, President Obama signed into law the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, ushering in a significantly enhanced, and effective immediately, chemical management law. (See...
August 17, 2016

Lynn L. Bergeson, “Pollution Monitoring: New Tools Help Speed Compliance,” Chemical Processing, August 17, 2016.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made much of its “Next Generation Compliance” initiative, created “to increase compliance with environmental regulations by using advances in pollutant monitoring and information technology combined with a focus on designing more effective regulations and permits to reduce pollution.” This involves more effective regulations and permits that include built-in compliance mechanisms, such as continuous monitoring for stationary sources;...