All Knowledge & Insights By Date

On May 15, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the launch of “a stronger, more systematic review process for food chemicals already on the market -- especially those that concern consumers most.” Over the coming months, FDA will roll out the following key actions: A modernized, evidence-based prioritization scheme for reviewing existing chemicals. According to FDA, it will soon release a draft for public comment; A final, systematic post-market review process shaped...

Ponder the following existential question: Who does their job less effectively? Members of Congress, or employees of federal agencies? Let’s examine the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees versus those responsible for legislating environmental laws. Congress has not been able to reauthorize environmental statutes for years, with some (most) needing significant attention. EPA relies on 1990 Clean Air Act amendments to sort out air pollution issues and address climate change...

Save The Date For “TSCA Reform – Nine Years Later” On June 25, 2025: Save the date to join Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health for our ninth annual conference providing updates and insights regarding the current state of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) implementation, ongoing and emerging issues, and related developments. As with our previous TSCA anniversary...

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remain a top concern for regulators and the public alike. While federal regulators continue to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive response, including through the PFAS Strategic Roadmap, states are increasingly positioning themselves as policy innovators in this space. The recent announcement that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will issue additional guidance and extend the compliance deadline for the Toxic Substances Control Act...

On May 5, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) issued a consent agreement and final order between EPA and Cytonix, LLC (Cytonix). According to the consent agreement, in 2022, EPA inspectors discovered Cytonix’s potential noncompliance with requirements under Section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for a manufactured chemical substance consisting of short-chain polyfluorinated materials (Chemical A) that was developed as a...

Download transcript. This week, I discuss with my colleagues, Carla N. Hutton, Senior Regulatory Analyst for B&C, and Dr. Richard E. Engler, Director of Chemistry for B&C and The Acta Group (Acta®), our consulting affiliate, the ever-expanding and complicated scope of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulation in the United States. We convened a webinar on this topic in mid-May and attracted a record-breaking 1000+ registrants, suggesting to us that PFAS continues to be a...

On April 28, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlined upcoming agency action to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). According to EPA’s much anticipated announcement, “[i]n line with Administrator Zeldin’s Powering the Great American Comeback initiative, EPA’s work in this space will advance Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American, and Pillar 3: Permitting Reform, Cooperative Federalism, and Cross-Agency Partnership.” 

On June 19 to June 20, 2025, the European Union (EU) Horizon Europe projects ACCORDs, iCare, MACRAMÉ, and nanoPASS are hosting a joint summit to address the needs of industry and regulators in assessing the safety and sustainability of advanced materials. The summit will feature discussions, latest method developments, and direct engagement with regulators, scientists, and industry professionals. Key sessions will focus on regulatory challenges, scientific developments, and pathways towards...

As reported in our February 14, 2025, blog item, on February 11, 2025, community and environmental groups submitted a petition under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prohibit the use of hydrogen fluoride in domestic oil refining “to eliminate the extreme and unreasonable risks this use presents to public health and the environment.” On May 12, 2025, EPA denied the petition, stating that the request to initiate a...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently updated its website to include two petitions submitted under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that seek reconsideration of exemption provisions of EPA’s final risk management rule for trichloroethylene (TCE). On March 24, 2025, PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG) submitted a petition seeking an amendment to the December 2024 final rule’s exemption for the industrial and commercial use of TCE as a processing aid for specialty...