Exactly three months from the date the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) announced its Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan initiative, EPA on June 1 announced an additional 18 chemicals scheduled for assessment during 2013 and 2014. EPA states that it selected the chemicals for a variety of reasons, similar to those it used to identify the seven Work Plan chemicals to assess in 2012. The chemicals span the...
At the request of California Governor Jerry Brown (D), the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) withdrew its October 31, 2011, informal draft Safer Consumer Products regulations, as well as a revised formal draft scheduled for release in April. Brown reportedly had concerns regarding the scope of the regulations, the treatment of confidential business information, and duplication of existing federal and state regulations. Brown asked DTSC to issue new informal draft...
May 16, 2012
Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health Considers PEL Recommendations
The Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health (FACOSH) met on May 3, 2012, during which it discussed revised recommendations on permissible exposure limits (PEL) from FACOSH's Emerging Issues Subcommittee. FACOSH is authorized by the Occupational Safety and Health Act and Executive Order (EO) 11,612, as amended, "to advise the Secretary [of Labor] on all matters relating to the occupational safety and health of federal employees," including providing advice on how to reduce the...
On May 3-4, 2012, the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) convened its semiannual meeting in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offices in Arlington, Virginia. This memorandum summarizes the presentations and topics discussed during the meeting, which were organized into 12 sessions: Update Regarding Strategic Plans, Budget, and PRIA 3 Pollinator Protection Integrated Pest Management Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program PPDC Workgroup and OPP Program...
On April 26, 2012, the Obama Administration released its National Bioeconomy Blueprint, which is intended to provide a comprehensive approach to harnessing innovations in biological research to address national challenges in health, food, energy, and the environment. In coordination with the release of the National Bioeconomy Blueprint, the Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and the Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced commitments supportive of...
On April 27, 2012, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released the Report to the President and Congress on the Fourth Assessment of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, which is a Congressionally mandated biennial review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). PCAST found that the NNI, which has provided $16 billion to date in investments by 26 federal agencies, "has had a 'catalytic and substantial impact' on the growth of the U.S....
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) hosted a webinar today concerning a web-based tool that EPA plans to make available to allow submission of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 8(e) notices via the Internet through EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX) portal. EPA plans to make slides from today's webinar available online. EPA increasingly is seeking submission of notices and reports electronically through the CDX...
April 23, 2012
FDA Issues Two New Draft Guidance Documents on Nanotechnology in Food Substances and Cosmetics
On April 20, 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued two new draft guidance documents on the use of nanotechnology in food and cosmetic products -- "Guidance for Industry: Assessing the Effects of Significant Manufacturing Process Changes, Including Emerging Technologies, on the Safety and Regulatory Status of Food Ingredients and Food Contact Substances, including Food Ingredients that are Color Additives," which is available online, and "Guidance for Industry: Safety of...
April 20, 2012
George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center Convenes Panel Discussion on Moving Forward with IRIS Reform
On April 18, 2012, the George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center convened a panel discussion entitled Moving Forward With IRIS Reform: Implementing National Academies' Roadmap for Revisions. Panelists included Dr. Lynn R. Goldman, Dean of the School of Public Health and Health Services and former Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Rebecca Clark, M.P.H., Acting Director of EPA's National Center for Environmental...
April 19, 2012
EPA Issues PR Notice Concerning SDSs As Pesticide Labeling to Address Non-Alignment with OSHA’s New HCS (U.S. Implementation of GHS)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is scheduled to publish on April 20, 2012, a Federal Register notice announcing the availability of Pesticide Registration Notice (PR Notice) 2012-1, entitled "Material Safety Data Sheets as Pesticide Labeling." EPA issued the PR Notice on April 9, 2012, and EPA intends it to provide guidance to registrants concerning the relationship between EPA-approved labels for pesticides registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and...