July 26, 2019

Lynn L. Bergeson, “Expert Focus: TSCA and Liability under the False Claims Act – a Potentially Promising Area,” Chemical Watch, July 26, 2019.

A federal appellate court recently decided a case brought under the FCA’s reverse false claims provision premised on alleged non-compliance with a TSCA reporting obligation. Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP v. BASF Corp. As discussed in this article, while the court dismissed the case, it did so for fact-specific reasons and creative plaintiff lawyers can be expected to rely upon the FCA in the future to bring actions based on other TSCA provisions....
July 16, 2019

Lynn L. Bergeson, “USDA Enhances Biobased Procurement Program,” Chemical Processing, July 16, 2019.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule on July 5, 2019, amending its “Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement” to include 30 more product categories for biobased products that may receive procurement preference by federal agencies and their contractors. These 30 product categories contain finished products made, in large part, from intermediate ingredients designated for federal procurement preference. This article explains why...
July 2, 2019

Lynn L. Bergeson, “EPA Prioritizes Chemicals for Risk Evaluation: Why This Matters,” Environmental Quality Management, Volume 28, Issue 4, Summer 2019.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released on March 20, 2019, a list of 40 chemicals for which EPA is initiating the prioritization process for risk evaluation. This article explains why the prioritization process is critically important for product manufacturers to monitor and manage, and how best to do so....
June 28, 2019

Zameer Qureshi, “EU REACH: how’s life after the Registration deadlines?,” Elements, the Magazine of Chemicals Northwest,, Spring 2019.

The registration deadlines for pre-registered “phase-in” chemical substances under the European Union’s (EU) Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation presented for the chemicals industry a wide range of demanding tasks requiring substantial expertise from scientists, consultants, lawyers, and others. The transitional phase of REACH ended on 31 May 2018, and companies of all shapes and sizes are now engaged in a wide range of ongoing compliance...
June 19, 2019

Lynn L. Bergeson, “Protecting Confidential Business Information: An Evolving Challenge,” International Chemical Regulatory and Law Review, Volume 2, Issue 2, Summer 2019.

The concept of confidential business information (CBI) is sometimes considered at odds with the concept of the ‘right-to-know.’ When Congress amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in 2016 through enactment of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg), it was mindful of the public’s growing interest in knowing more about the identity of chemicals to which they may be exposed, but equally mindful of a business’ legitimate interest in...
May 17, 2019

Lynn L. Bergeson, “Chemical Compliance: Get Ready for South Korean Deadline,” Chemical Processing, May 17, 2019.

Global chemical substance notification deadlines continue to populate the regulatory horizon. For companies active in worldwide markets, it’s crucial to review and meet all important notification and registration deadlines in each country. This article focuses on South Korea’s policy and explains why it’s essential to meet these deadlines....
April 19, 2019

Lynn L. Bergeson, “The Rise of Ingredient Disclosure: The California and New York Experience,” Environmental Quality Management, Volume 28, Issue 3, Spring 2019.

In the recent past, two important states—California and New York—have launched extensive and precedent‐setting ingredient disclosure laws regarding cleaning products with the clear goal of prompting the deselection of certain chemical substances and forcing product reformulation. Industry prefers to refer to this trend as “ingredient communication,” a goal we can all agree is desirable. By whatever name, these state measures will have a significant impact on ingredient disclosure...
April 10, 2019

Lynn L. Bergeson, “EPA Updates the TSCA Inventory: Impact on chemical importers,” Elements, the Magazine of Chemicals Northwest, Spring 2019.

On February 19, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a much anticipated “updated” Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory. The updated TSCA Inventory now lists chemicals that are “active” versus “inactive” in commerce in the U.S. This development has important legal and transactional implications for foreign companies importing chemicals into the U.S. This column explains why....
March 29, 2019

Lynn L. Bergeson, “Regulatory Opportunities and Challenges in Commercialising Biobased Chemicals,” International Chemical Regulatory and Law Review, Volume 2, Issue 1, Spring 2019.

The 21st Century has witnessed intense renewed interest in commercialising new biobased chemicals, defined generally to include chemicals that are derived fromplants and otherrenewablematerials. The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is the U.S. law thatregulatesindustrial chemicalsubstances,including biobased chemicals, used in applications other than food, drugs, cosmetics, and pesticides, or uses that are regulated by other federal authorities. TSCA wassignificantly amended in 2016, and...
March 14, 2019

Cheryl B. Cleveland, Carrie R. Fleming, Jason E. Johnston, Angela S. Klemens, and Bruce M. Young, “Benchmarking the Current Codex Alimentarius International Estimated Short-Term Intake Equations and the Proposed New Equations,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, March 14, 2019.

The International Estimated Short-Term Intake IESTI equations are used during the establishment of Codex Maximum Residue Limits. A recent proposal to revise the equations sparked international debate regarding selection of residue inputs and the appropriate level of consumer protection. The 49th Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues meeting recommended benchmarking the IESTI equations against distributions of actual exposures. Using publicly available data and models, this work compares dietary...
March 11, 2019

Lynn L. Bergeson and Karin F. Baron, “Expert Focus: A Glimpse at US OSHA’s Updated Hazard Communication Standard,” Chemical Watch, March 11, 2019.

The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is, by its very nature, perennially a work in progress. The US is committed to global harmonisation in classifying chemical hazards, and the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha) 2012 incorporation of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of classification and labelling of chemicals into the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) was a big step forward in achieving global harmonisation. The road is long, however, and...
February 22, 2019

Lynn L, Bergeson, “FDA Proposed Rule for OTC Sunscreen Drug Products Addresses Sunscreens Containing Nanomaterials,” Nanotechnology Now, February 22, 2019.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is scheduled to publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register on February 26, 2019, that would put into effect a final monograph for nonprescription, over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen drug products....
February 18, 2019

Lynn L. Bergeson, “New York Disclosure Program Hits A Snag,” Chemical Processing, February 18, 2019.

On January 9, 2019, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) announced it was delaying its enforcement of the New York Household Cleansing Product Information Disclosure Program (NYDP) to October 2, 2019. NYDEC’s announcement was published in the Environmental Notice Bulletin. This article explains the significance of this development....
January 16, 2019

Lynn L. Bergeson, “Political Turmoil Muddies Regulatory Moves,” Chemical Processing, January 16, 2019.

2019 started with a political bang. The President’s decision to allow a partial government shutdown in the absence of funding for the “wall” will continue to inspire federal administrative and regulatory havoc for months to come. This is particularly true of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) as it administers the programs under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and...
January 9, 2019

Lynn L. Bergeson, “A Glimpse of Things to Come: OSHA’s Soon to Be Updated Hazard Communication Standard,” Environmental Quality Management, Volume 28, Issue 2, Winter 2018.

In the Trump Administration’s Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions (Regulatory Agenda) issued on October 17, 2018, the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a Proposed Rule Stage item titled, “Update to the Hazard Communication Standard,” RIN 1218-AC93 (OSHA, 2018), and scheduled the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to be issued by March, 2019. This could be an important regulatory development for all...
January 2, 2019

Zameer Qureshi, “Brexit: REACHing Compliance Goals Under Evolving Circumstances,” Elements, the Magazine of Chemicals Northwest, Winter 2018.

Brexit is a moving target from a political viewpoint, but many matters for regulatory compliance and product stewardship teams globally appear clearer than before. This article suggests timely REACH compliance strategies companies should adopt and implement that account for wide-ranging Brexit repercussions....
December 14, 2018

Lynn L. Bergeson, “Amazon Issues Restricted Substance List,” Chemical Processing, December 14, 2018.

Big retailers strive to source products responsibly. This typically includes recognition of chemicals in the products they market. As part of its commitment to responsible sourcing, Amazon recently posted its Chemicals Policy, which includes its first Restricted Substance List (RSL). This column discusses this milestone....