The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced on March 7, 2023, that EPA did not follow the typical intra-agency review and clearance process during the development and publication of the January 2021 perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) toxicity assessment. OIG conducted its evaluation to determine whether EPA followed applicable policies and procedures to develop and publish the PFBS toxicity assessment. OIG notes that two weeks after...
March 9, 2023
NIA Posts Recording of Antimicrobial Treatment Webinar
The Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) has posted a recording of its March 6, 2023, webinar on “Nano in Action: Antimicrobial Treatment.” The webinar explored a topic where relevance has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, but that has long been on the to-do list of the public building and transport sectors. Subjects covered included the current cleaning and sanitation protocols of public spaces; the kind of nano-based solutions available to meet this need; and how to measure...
March 9, 2023
USDA Celebrates Inaugural National Biobased Products Day, Announces 2022 Award Winners for BioPrefer
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton On March 8, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the kickoff of the inaugural National Biobased Products Day and highlighted the accomplishments of people and organizations working to improve sustainability within the federal government. USDA notes that its ongoing work includes the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative programs, which fund research that advances...
Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to announce that Managing Partner Lynn L. Bergeson and Regulatory Analyst Carla N. Hutton have been recognized in the 2023 JD Supra Readers Choice Awards as top authors in the Environment section. This is Ms. Bergeson’s seventh Readers Choice award, which recognizes the most-read and -shared articles posted on JD Supra, a legal news service, and Ms. Hutton’s first. B&C’s monthly “Wrap-Up of Federal and State Chemical...
On March 8, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency opened a 30-day comment period on nominations for candidates to serve on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC). According to EPA, there are currently 17 SACC members, with eight membership terms that will soon expire. Biographies for all candidates under consideration are available online. In addition, biographies for current SACC members are available on the SACC website. Comments on...
March 7, 2023
Registration Opens for NNI Webinar on “What’s Next in NanoEHS: The Young Professional’s Perspective”
The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) will hold a webinar on “What’s Next in NanoEHS: The Young Professional’s Perspective” on March 28, 2023. NNI’s 2023 nano environmental, health, and safety (nanoEHS) webinar series will focus on the questions, challenges, and breakthroughs needed to continue advancing the responsible development of nanotechnology. According to the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office’s (NNCO) announcement, the 2023 theme complements the NNI’s...
Chemical Watch presents TSCA Developments 2023, a one-day virtual conference focused on the latest TSCA updates and what they mean for the chemical industry. Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) will present on TSCA litigation.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on March 2, 2023, that the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) will hold two public listening sessions to receive individual input related to concerns about potential liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). According to EPA, it will review and consider the input received in drafting a “CERCLA per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)...
On February 22, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) announced that it will co-host a virtual public meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) on March 22, 2023. As stated in our February 17, 2023, blog, EPA and FDA are considering how best to update their respective oversight responsibilities for specific products in an efficient and...
March 6, 2023
BETO Hosting 2023 Project Peer Review on April 3-7, 2023
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) will host its 2023 Project Peer Review April 3-7, 2023. Projects in BETO’s research and development (R&D) portfolio will be presented to the public and systematically reviewed by external subject-matter experts from industry, academia, and federal agencies. Simultaneous review sessions of projects across the BETO technology areas will occur. The event will...