January 6, 2026

2026 Forecast for U.S. Federal and International Chemical Regulatory Policy

Download a PDF of the Forecast 2026. Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), its global consulting affiliate The Acta Group (Acta®), and consortia management affiliate B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM) are pleased to share with you our Forecast 2026. Our distinguished global team of chemical experts worked hard to summarize our collective best guess on what to expect in the New Year regarding global industrial, agricultural, and biocidal chemical regulatory and policy...
December 29, 2025

PFAS – What to Know Now, and What to Expect

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are attracting global legal, regulatory, commercial, and litigation attention as no other “emerging contaminant” has. Companies producing, processing, distributing, and/or using these substances must be aware of global legal and scientific developments and take steps now to minimize legal, regulatory, and commercial risk. Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and its global consulting affiliate The Acta Group (Acta®) have prepared...
January 30, 2026

EPA Releases Draft Pesticide Registration Notice 2026-NEW: Notifications, Non-Notifications, and Minor Formulation Amendments

On January 5, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its draft Pesticide Registration (PR) Notice, entitled “Pesticide Registration Notice 2026-NEW: Notifications, Non-Notifications, and Minor Formulation Amendments” (Draft PRN 2026-NEW), and announced a 45-day public comment period. 91 Fed. Reg. 271. Since the January 5, 2026, announcement, a 30-day extension to the comment period has been approved but not yet published. In the Draft PRN 2026-NEW, EPA provides...
January 29, 2026

TSCA Section 21 Petition Seeks Risk Management Rule for Chemicals “Widely Used” in Consumer Liquid Laundry Detergents

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website, EPA received a petition on January 6, 2026, under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regarding certain chemicals in consumer laundry detergents. The petition requests that EPA initiate a TSCA Section 6(a) rulemaking regarding the following chemical substances that are “widely used in consumer liquid laundry detergents”: Sodium C10-16 alkylbenzenesulfonate; Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES); and 1,4-Dioxane...
January 29, 2026

NSCEB Paper Outlines Policy Options to Modernize Oversight of Biotechnology Products

The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) has published a January 2026 discussion paper entitled “Creating Clear Regulatory Pathways for Biotechnology.” According to the paper, biotechnology regulations in the United States are complex, resulting in a slow process, while regulations in China and other countries allow developers to move ahead more quickly. The paper notes that the regulatory system in the United States is “built on laws that predate biotechnology,...
January 28, 2026

Lynn L. Bergeson, “Chemical Compliance: What to Expect in 2026,” Chemical Processing, January 21, 2026.

Each year, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., its global consulting affiliate The Acta Group, and consortia management affiliate B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C., prepare a summary overview of things to come in the new year. We are pleased to present our Forecast 2026. Our global team of chemical experts works hard each year to summarize our collective best guess on what to expect in the new year regarding global industrial, agricultural and biocidal chemical regulatory and policy initiatives....
January 27, 2026

House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Legislation to Modernize TSCA

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on January 22, 2026, on “Chemicals in Commerce: Legislative Proposal to Modernize America’s Chemical Safety Law, Strengthen Critical Supply Chains, and Grow Domestic Manufacturing.” The hearing focused on a draft bill titled Discussion Draft of Legislation to Modernize the Toxic Substances Control Act (Discussion Draft). As reported in our January 17, 2026, memorandum, the Discussion Draft would impose sweeping changes to many of...
January 27, 2026

Uncertain U.S. Foreign Policy Implications for Chemical Regulation and Trade

Current gyrations in foreign policy under the Trump Administration raise potential unintended impacts on the U.S. chemical industry, particularly at the intersection of international regulatory cooperation, global toxics governance, and trade policy. While chemical regulation is often viewed as a domestic exercise, it is shaped materially by international alignment, mutual recognition, and trade-related obligations. Fractures in U.S. relationships with allies and multilateral institutions could...
January 26, 2026

Bipartisan Senate Bill Would Support Biomanufacturing

On January 14, 2026, Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the Renewable Chemicals Act (S. 3632). According to Ricketts’s January 14, 2026, press release, the bipartisan legislation “would provide a targeted, short-term tax credit for qualifying renewable chemicals or an investment tax credit for renewable chemical production facilities.” The press release notes that renewable chemicals are produced from biomass such as corn and soybeans and states that this...
January 24, 2026

OSHA Extends Hazard Communication Standard Compliance Dates

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a final rule on January 15, 2026, extending the compliance dates in its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) (29 C.F.R. Section 1910.1200), published in the Federal Register on May 20, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 44144), by four months. 91 Fed. Reg. 1695. The May 2024 final rule adopts a tiered approach to compliance and includes two sets of compliance dates for chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors evaluating substances...
January 23, 2026

2026 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards Nominations Due by January 31, 2026

Do you know of a company that is innovating in ways that make chemistry safer, cleaner, and more sustainable? The American Chemical Society (ACS) is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Winning a Green Chemistry Challenge Award is not just an honor; it is a catalyst for visibility, credibility, and environmental impact. Since 1996, 155 organizations and individuals have been recognized for innovations that reduce hazardous substances, conserve resources,...
January 23, 2026

NMED Posts Revised Proposed PFAS Reporting, Labeling, and Prohibition Rule

On January 16, 2026, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) posted docket materials related to the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board’s (NMEIB) February 23, 2026, rulemaking hearing on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer products. The materials include clean and redline versions of a revised proposed rule. The revisions would: Exempt pesticides regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) from the reporting and prohibition...