As part of a multi-agency effort to address pollution from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released on October 18, 2021, the PFAS Strategic Roadmap: EPA’s Commitments to Action 2021-2024. The Strategic Roadmap includes: EPA also released a national PFAS testing strategy that will require PFAS manufacturers to provide toxicity data and information on categories of PFAS chemicals to inform future regulatory...
On October 11, 2021, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) announced the release of a scientific guide to assess the risks posed by nanomaterials in food. According to ANSES, engineered nanomaterials are used in the food sector as: The guide provides a risk assessment methodology for engineered nanomaterials used as food additives and ingredients with a nutritional function. ANSES notes that the European Food Safety Authority...
October 19, 2021
EPA Announces Steps Intended to Enhance Scientific Integrity and Strengthen New Chemical Safety Revi
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) announced on October 14, 2021, several actions intended to enhance scientific integrity, including establishing two internal science policy advisory councils, creating a new senior-level career position to serve as a science policy advisor to the Assistant Administrator, and making further improvements to policies and procedures. The announcement...
October 18, 2021
Lynn L. Bergeson, “Is Extended Producer Responsibility On The Rise For Packaging?,” Chemical Processing, October 18, 2021.
On July 13, 2021, Maine became the first state to enact Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation for packaging. On August 6, 2021, Oregon followed, enacting a similar EPR law applicable to packaging. Other states are poised to pass similar legislation. This article discusses the concept of EPR and summarizes the state legislation....
October 15, 2021
ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources 29th Fall Conference, October 13-15, 2021, Washington D.C.
The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER) 29th Fall Conference brings together senior Biden administration officials and experienced environmental law practitioners to share their insights on a host of thought-provoking issues in environment, energy, and resources law. Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), will present during the “Moving Towards “Cradle-to-Cradle”:...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on October 15, 2021, that it is updating the confidential status of 377 chemical identities and will include these chemical identities on the next update of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory, planned for winter 2022. The TSCA Inventory is a list of all existing chemical substances manufactured, processed, or imported in the United States. According to EPA, the Inventory contains 86,607 chemicals, of which...
October 15, 2021
DOE Announces Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On September 30, 2021, DOE announced the launch of a new prize that will award up to $2.5 million in cash prizes to ten groups and organizations that support entrepreneurship and innovation in historically underserved communities. The Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize acknowledges that underserved populations have been and continue to be more susceptible to the negative impact of climate change, global warming, and pollution....
October 14, 2021
Implementing Lautenberg — A Conversation with former OPPT Director Jeffery T. Morris, Ph.D.
October 14, 2021
EPA Announces Steps Intended to Enhance Scientific Integrity and Strengthen New Chemical Safety Reviews
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) announced on October 14, 2021, several actions intended to enhance scientific integrity, including establishing two internal science policy advisory councils, creating a new senior-level career position to serve as a science policy advisor to the Assistant Administrator, and making further improvements to policies and procedures. The announcement includes the following actions:...
October 14, 2021
Lynn L. Bergeson Quoted in Bloomberg Law Article “EPA Strategy Coming to Combat Plastic Pollution, Boost Recycling”
On October 14, 2021, Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), was quoted by Bloomberg Law regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to release a national strategy to reduce plastic waste, improve recycling, and boost the market for recycled goods. Ms. Bergeson discussed these issues during the “Moving Towards “Cradle-to-Cradle”: Regulatory Drivers and Barriers in Reducing Waste and Achieving...