October 1, 2011

Monthly Update for October 2011

TSCA/FIFRA/IRIS EPA Issues Draft Harmonized Test Guidelines For Antimicrobial Products: On September 15, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of the draft test guidelines for Series 810 — Product Performance Test Guidelines for Public Health Uses of Antimicrobial Agents, concerning specifically air, textiles, and water. 76 Fed. Reg. 57031. These draft test guidelines are intended to address efficacy testing for antimicrobial agents to be used...
September 1, 2011

Monthly Update for September 2011

TSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA EPA Publishes Chemical Data Reporting Rule: On August 16, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule entitled Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) Rule, formerly known as the Inventory Update Reporting (IUR) Rule, under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 76 Fed. Reg. 50816. The revisions, which were first announced August 2, 2011, expand the requirements for reporting data on production volume, use, and exposure for many chemicals widely...
August 1, 2011

Monthly Update for August 2011

TSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA EPA Announces Chemical Data Reporting Rule: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to publish in the Federal Register this month a final Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) Rule, previously referred to as the Inventory Update Reporting (IUR) Modifications Rule. The CDR is intended to enable EPA to collect and publish information on the manufacturing, processing, and use of commercial chemical substances and...
July 1, 2011

Monthly Update for July 2011

TSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA EPA Schedules IRIS Workshop On Methanol: On June 22, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scheduled a workshop on and released a proposed addendum to the external peer review draft human health assessment titled Toxicological Review of Methanol (Non-Cancer): In Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) for public comment. 76 Fed. Reg. 36534. The purpose of the addendum is to provide the public with several...
June 1, 2011

Monthly Update for June 2011

FEDERAL ISSUES TSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA/RCRA EPA Issues Direct Final Rule Regarding Electronic Reporting Requirements: On May 27, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a direct final rule amending the procedures for requests for modification or revocation of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 5 significant new use notification (SNUN) requirements by establishing electronic submission requirements. 76 Fed. Reg. 30835. EPA issued a final rule in the Federal...
May 1, 2011

Monthly Update for May 2011

TSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA EPA Announces Listening Session On IRIS Draft Toxicological Review Of Methanol: On April 18, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a 60-day public comment period and listening session on May 26, 2011, for the external review draft human health assessment entitled “Toxicological Review of Methanol (Non-Cancer): In Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)” (EPA/635/R-11/001). 76 Fed. Reg....
April 1, 2011

Monthly Update for April 2011

TSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA The following item is of major importance to many of our clients and friends. We will issue a more detailed analysis of the legislation early next week. Lautenberg Introduces Safe Chemicals Act Of 2011: On April 14, 2011, Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011, which is intended to modernize the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to require chemical companies to demonstrate the safety of industrial chemicals and the U.S....
March 1, 2011

Monthly Update for March 2011

TSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA Agriculture Groups Seek Supreme Court Review Of National Corn Growers: Three agriculture organizations and FMC Corporation in February asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review National Corn Growers Ass’n v. EPA, 613 F.3d 266, 71 ERC 1129, a federal appeals court ruling that vacated a portion of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) final rule revoking all food residue tolerances for carbofuran. At issue is whether a public evidentiary hearing was...
February 1, 2011

Monthly Update for February 2011

FEDERAL ISSUESTSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA EPA Issues Technical Correction On TSCA Section 4 Test Rule On Certain High Production Volume Chemicals: On January 26, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a technical correction to a Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 4 final rule EPA issued on January 7, 2011. 76 Fed. Reg. 4549. The test rule concerns testing of certain high production volume (HPV) chemical substances to obtain screening level data for health and...
January 1, 2011

Monthly Update for January 2011

2011 Predictions For EPA’s Office Of Chemical Safety And Pollution Prevention: Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C) thoughts on what may be headed our way in 2011 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) are provided in a memorandum available online. In short, the general trends established by the Obama Administration during the past two years are expected to continue notwithstanding the 2010...
December 1, 2010

Monthly Update for December 2010

FEDERAL ISSUES Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. extends its best wishes to our clients and many friends and we wish you and your family a happy, healthy, and peaceful New Year. TSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA EPA Denies Second Request Made In TSCA Section 21 Petition Regarding Lead: On November 17, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its decision to deny the second request made by certain petitioners seeking a ban on lead in fishing sinkers. 75 Fed. Reg....
November 1, 2010

Monthly Update for November 2010

Synopsis Of The 2010 Congressional Mid-Term Elections: The 2010 Congressional mid-term elections will have a profound impact on policy and legislative developments of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), particularly as to the regulation of chemicals and pesticides. The dramatic decline in the number of elected Democratic members, especially the loss of the majority in the House of Representatives, will make for some significant differences in the prospects for EPA’s...
October 1, 2010

Monthly Update for October 2010

TSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA EPA Denies TSCA Section 21 Petition On Lead In Ammunition And Fishing Sinkers: On September 24, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its decision to deny a petition submitted under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 21 requesting that EPA prohibit under TSCA Section 6(a) the manufacture, processing, and distribution in commerce of (1) lead bullets and shot; and (2) lead fishing sinkers. 75 Fed. Reg. 58377. EPA denied the first...
September 1, 2010

Monthly Update for September 2010

FEDERAL ISSUESTSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA EPA Announces Action Plans For Chemicals Used In Dyes, Flame Retardants, And Industrial Detergents: On August 18, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced action plans for benzidine dyes, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and nonylphenol (NP) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE). According to EPA, the chemicals are widely used in both consumer and industrial applications, including as dyes, flame retardants, and industrial laundry...
August 1, 2010

Monthly Update for August 2010

TSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA EPA And Other Federal Agencies Collaborate To Improve Chemical Screening: On July 19, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)/National Toxicology Program (NTP), and the National Institute of Health Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC) announced the addition of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Tox21 collaboration. The Tox21 collaboration enables federal agencies to develop ways to...
July 1, 2010

Monthly Update for July 2010

TSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA EPA Releases Updated Schedule For Registration Review: On June 16, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of an updated schedule for the pesticide registration review program, the periodic review of all registered pesticides mandated under Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Section 3(g). 75 Fed. Reg. 34115. The updated schedule provides the timetable for opening dockets for the next four years of the...
June 1, 2010

Monthly Update for June 2010

FEDERAL ISSUESTSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA EPA Adds More Chemicals And Chemical Facilities To Public Database: On May 17, 2009, as part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s commitment to increase public access to information on chemicals, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added more than 6,300 chemicals and 3,800 chemical facilities regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to a public database called Envirofacts. The Envirofacts database is EPA’s single point...
May 1, 2010

Monthly Update for May 2010

FEDERAL ISSUESTSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA EPA Considering TSCA Section 6 Rulemaking For Long-Chain Perfluorinated Chemicals: On April 16, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posted its March 2010 Action Initiation List (AIL), which includes an item entitled “Long-Chain Perfluorinated Chemicals (LCPFCs); Regulation(s) Under TSCA.” The abstract for the item states: TSCA section 6 provides authority for EPA to ban or restrict the manufacture (including import),...
April 1, 2010

Monthly Update for April 2010

TSCA/FIFRA/NTP EPA To Increase Restrictions On Flea And Tick Products: On March 18, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will begin reviewing labels to determine which pesticide products for flea and tick control need revised labeling statements. 75 Fed. Reg. 13125. EPA intends to develop more stringent testing and evaluation requirements for both existing and new products, and expects these steps will help prevent adverse reactions. Following the 2008...
March 1, 2010

Monthly Update for March 2010

EPA Issues Draft IRIS Risk Assessment On Inorganic Arsenic: On February 19, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a 60-day public comment period for a draft document entitled Toxicological Review of Inorganic Arsenic: In Support of the Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) (EPA/635/R-10/001) (Toxicological Review of Inorganic Arsenic). 75 Fed. Reg. 7477. The draft document was prepared by the National Center for Environmental...