By Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On May 27, 2022, EPA announced that it is seeking nominations for technical experts to serve as Special Government Employees (SGE) to participate in the review of the New Chemicals Collaborative Research Program with the Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC), a federal advisory committee to the Office of Research and Development (ORD). EPA will consider nominees from industry, business, public and private research institutes or...
The European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) announced on June 10, 2022, that NanoData has been updated with “a new look and feel to improve the user experience.” NanoData is the knowledge base on nanosciences and -technology hosted by EUON. It contains data on different products, research projects, publications, patents, and organizations. According to EUON, users can now visualize statistics through built-in charts and graphs. The data can be easily...
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On June 2, 2022, TSCA NCC submitted comments in response to the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s (OSTP) Request for Information (RFI) related to Subtitle E of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), also called the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act. TSCA NCC’s comments addressed specifically: The definition of green chemistry and sustainable chemistry; Policy considerations; New...
June 10, 2022
EC Revises Definition of Nanomaterials
On June 10, 2022, the European Commission (EC) announced that it is clarifying the definition of nanomaterials in a new Recommendation that supports a coherent European Union (EU) regulatory framework for nanomaterials, helping to align legislation across all sectors. The EC states that the new definition should be used in EU and national legislation, policy, and research programs. The Recommendation states: ‘Nanomaterial’ means a natural, incidental or manufactured...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR) published a request for information (RFI) on June 9, 2022, seeking information on the end-of-life management of batteries, including their generation, collection, recycling, and reuse, as well as the current labeling standards and requirements for batteries regarding their end-of-life. 87 Fed. Reg. 35202. According to the RFI, EPA is developing best practices with respect to the collection...
June 9, 2022
EPA Proposes To Update CBI Requirements Under TSCA
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On May 12, 2022, EPA published a proposed rule relating to the assertion and maintenance of confidential business information (CBI) claims under TSCA. EPA states in its May 12, 2022, press release that the proposed rule includes new and amended requirements that, if made final, would increase transparency, modernize reporting and review procedures, and ensure consistency with the 2016 amendments to TSCA. In addition to providing...
June 8, 2022
EUON Publishes Nanopinion on Urinary MicroRNA-based Early Cancer Detection Using Nanowire-based Devices
On May 31, 2022, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “Urinary MicroRNA-based Early Cancer Detection Using Nanowire-based Devices” by Dr. Yasui Takao on using nanowire devices to extract microRNAs (miRNA) from urine to distinguish cancer patients from healthy individuals and improve the early detection of cancer. According to Yasui, researchers designed a device equipped with 100 million zinc oxide nanowires that can extract a...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on June 6, 2022, that it issued the first in a series of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) test orders to require companies to conduct and submit testing on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). EPA issued the order as part of its PFAS Strategic Roadmap. When EPA announced the Strategic Roadmap to confront PFAS contamination nationwide, it also released the National PFAS Testing Strategy to help identify...
B&C, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health will present “TSCA Reform – Six Years Later” on June 29, 2022. This complimentary virtual conference marks the sixth TSCA Annual Conference, reflecting on the accomplishments and challenges since the implementation of the 2016 Lautenberg Amendments and where TSCA stands today. Speakers will dive into a host of topics, including the interface of...