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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton   As part of the National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) announced in September 2022 an investment of $1.2 billion in bioindustrial domestic manufacturing infrastructure to catalyze the establishment of a domestic bioindustrial manufacturing base accessible to U.S. innovators. As reported in our March 30, 2023, blog item, on March 22, 2023, DOD released its Biomanufacturing Strategy to guide these...

On March 29, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) relating to the Superfund excise taxes imposed on certain chemicals and certain imported substances, effective July 1, 2022. 88 Fed. Reg. 18446. There are two separate Superfund chemical excise taxes: a tax on the sale or use of “taxable chemicals” and a tax on the sale or use of imported “taxable substances.” The NPRM contains proposed regulations under Sections 4661,...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on March 23, 2023, that it is seeking public nominations of scientific and technical experts that EPA can consider for service as ad hoc reviewers assisting the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) with the peer review of the “2023 Draft Supplement to the 1,4-Dioxane Risk Evaluation.” 88 Fed. Reg. 17566. EPA states that it will release the draft supplement for public review and comment in June 2023. EPA also plans to...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton As reported in our March 30, 2023, blog item, on March 22, 2023, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a new report, Bold Goals for U.S. Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing: Harnessing Research and Development to Further Societal Goals. The report includes five sections, each presenting goals that highlight what could be possible with the power of biology. The goals set ambitious national targets...

WEBINAR — TOP TSCA TOPICS: Cumulative Risk, NAMs, Risk Evaluations, CBI, And More!, May 17, 2023, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EDT), Via Webinar: Panelists Anna Lowit, Senior Science Advisor, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), will discuss New Approach Methodologies (NAM), cumulative risk assessment methodologies, systematic review procedures, new approaches to new...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) March 22, 2023, webinar, “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations,” is now available for on-demand viewing. During this one-hour webinar LeRoy (Lee) C. Paddock, Distinguished Professorial Lecturer of Environmental Law at the George Washington University Law School; Edith G. Nagy, Regulatory Consultant, B&C; and Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C, discuss the history and evolution of EPR legislation,...

On March 29, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) relating to the Superfund excise taxes imposed on certain chemicals and certain imported substances, effective July 1, 2022. 88 Fed. Reg. 18446. There are two separate Superfund chemical excise taxes: a tax on the sale or use of “taxable chemicals” and a tax on the sale or use of imported “taxable substances.” The NPRM contains proposed regulations under Sections 4661,...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton   To celebrate its 125th anniversary, ASTM International invited case study submissions from committee members to highlight standards that have made a significant impact in society. One of the winning entries is on a set of standards for biodegradable plastic from Committee D20 on Plastics. According to ASTM International’s article, standard test methods for determining the biobased content of solid, liquid, and gaseous samples using radiocarbon...

Download transcript. The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has inspired a lot of conversation involving a wide range of topics, including emergency response measures, rail transport of chemicals, and most pertinent to this conversation, communicating chemical risk information to the public. Several of my colleagues here at Bergeson & Campbell have worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in varying capacities and other federal agencies charged with regulating...

On March 28, 2023, the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies held a hearing on the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget request for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA Administrator Michael Regan was the Committee’s only witness. As reported in our March 14, 2023, blog item, according to EPA’s March 9, 2023, press release, President Biden’s budget requests over $12 billion in discretionary budget authority for EPA in...