Articles

On May 19, 2011, the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Committee on Pesticides, Chemical Regulation and Right-to-Know will convene a webinar on global nanotechnology governance initiatives. The program will explore the new and creative applications of existing regulatory tools and governance approaches to address the potential risks of nanotechnologies, implement new risk assessment approaches to evolving technologies, and maximize the potential...

On March 29, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing entitled “Oversight Hearing on Disease Clusters and Environmental Health.” Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Senator Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health Subcommittee, introduced the Strengthening Protections for Children and Communities from Disease Clusters Act (S. 76), also known as Trevor’s Law, on Jan. 25, 2011....

Several types of nanoscale materials recently dodged a bullet as the European Parliament declined to ban nanosilver and long multi-walled carbon nanotubes in the European Union’s Directive on the Restriction and Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment, (more commonly known as “RoHS”). For reasons not entirely clear, detractors of these nanoscale materials tried, and failed, to ban them outright in the RoHS Recast initiative. For nano stakeholders, while...

A March 11, 2011, memorandum from the White House Emerging Technologies Interagency Policy Coordination Committee (ETIPC) sets forth the Obama Administration’s principles for regulation and oversight of emerging technologies, including nanotechnology. One might wonder why a memorandum was thought necessary, and indeed, according to some U.S. trade press reports, the memorandum reportedly was not especially welcome news in some NGO camps. According to these reports, the memorandum reflects...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that more than 200,000 boilers, process heaters and incinerators will be impacted by a set of Clean Air Act regulations issued on February 21, 2011. Since EPA first proposed the Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) rules in April 2010, several industry sectors have argued the costs of implementing the rules would pose an unreasonable burden on businesses. In response to this criticism, EPA revised the rules in a...

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On the 10th March 2011, the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) announced that it had updated its nanotech consumer products inventory, and that it continues to grow to include over 1,300 manufacturer-identified, nanotechnology-enabled products that have entered the commercial marketplace around the world. The most recent update to the group’s five-year-old inventory reflects the continuing use of the nanoscale materials in everything from conventional products like sports equipment...

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) held a joint workshop in Washington, D.C., entitled ‘US-EU Bridging Nano EHS Research Efforts’ (10th – 11th March 2011). The workshop was intended to continue the robust dialogue between the United States (US) and European Union (EU) on issues of shared concern pertinent to nanotechnology research initiatives....

On December 17, 2010, the US National Organic Program (NOP) voted to accept the recommendation of the US National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to prohibit engineered nanomaterials from the production, processing, and packaging of certified organic products. The decision was made with little fanfare, but has big implications. ...

On May 19, 2011, the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER) Pesticides, Chemical Regulation, and Right-to-Know Committee will present a half-day webinar program on nano governance. Nanotechnology Industries Association’s intrepid leader, Dr. Steffi Friedrichs, is scheduled to present at this important program....