August 29, 2025

PEER Petitions MAHA Commission to Remove PFAS from U.S. Food Chain

On August 13, 2025, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) announced that it petitioned the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the food chain. PEER notes that its petition highlights three human exposure pathways it asks the MAHA Commission to address: Biosolid fertilizers made from sewage sludge contain high levels of PFAS. According to PEER, nearly 20 percent of U.S. agricultural land is estimated to use...
August 29, 2025

Canada’s Plan of Priorities Includes Several Nanoscale Materials

On July 23, 2025, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) announced the release of the Plan of Priorities, a multi-year plan that outlines upcoming priorities for the assessment of chemical substances. The Plan includes a list of more than 30 substances and substance groups prioritized for assessment and includes new or expanded activities to help assess, control, and manage risks posed by substances. ECCC states that in selecting and prioritizing these substances, considerations included:...
August 28, 2025

Mad MAHA Moms

The Make America Healthy Again Commission (MAHA) draft report, released on May 22, 2025, was a spectacular mix of damning claims and interesting “facts.” They all relate to the horrific state of the American diet, manipulation by vested interests controlling Congress, co-opted food safety and drug approval regulatory agencies, with a literally sick population of children addicted to ultra-processed food, electronic screens, and drugs pushed by the medical establishment. The root cause of...
August 28, 2025

NSF Announces Nearly $32 Million Investment to Accelerate AI-Driven Approaches in Protein Design, Strengthening the U.S. Bioeconomy

The National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) announced on August 7, 2025, an investment of nearly $32 million to five teams across the United States through the NSF Use-Inspired Acceleration of Protein Design (NSF USPRD) initiative. NSF states that the initiative “aims to accelerate the translation of artificial intelligence [(AI)]-based approaches to protein design and enable new applications of importance to the U.S. bioeconomy.” NSF...
August 28, 2025

TSCA Reform — Nine Years Later: Plastics Production, Use, and Recycling – Key TSCA Considerations

On June 25, 2025, B&C, along with the Environmental Law Institute and the George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health, sponsored the all-day virtual conference, TSCA Reform — Nine Years Later. The conference was hugely successful and almost 1,000 people registered for it. The quality of the discussion, the caliber of the participants, and the timeliness of the content motivated us to repurpose the substantive sessions to enable our podcast audience to listen to the...
August 27, 2025

APHIS Withdraws Notices of Intent to Prepare EISs for Two Petitions Seeking Determinations of Nonregulated Status for Organisms Developed Using Genetic Engineering

On August 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) advised the public that it is withdrawing notices of intent to prepare environmental impact statements (EIS) for two petitions seeking determinations of nonregulated status for organisms developed using genetic engineering. 90 Fed. Reg. 40050. APHIS states that its decision to withdraw the notices of intent is consistent with its July 9, 2025, Program Update that as of that date,...
August 26, 2025

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. and LexisNexis Publish 2025 Edition of Guide to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to announce publication of the 2025 edition of Guide to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), LexisNexis (Guide to TSCA). Guide to TSCA is the definitive comprehensive treatise on TSCA, written for lawyers, regulatory affairs specialists, and commercial and business people who need to understand the details of this law. The 2025 edition of Guide to TSCA was thoroughly updated, revised, and expanded by the lawyers, scientists, and regulatory...
August 25, 2025

Illinois Governor Signs Bill Banning Intentionally Added PFAS in Certain Consumer Products and Requiring IEPA to Prepare Report on Fluoropolymers by August 1, 2027

On August 15, 2025, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D) signed a bill (HB 2516) amending the PFAS Reduction Act to ban certain consumer products containing intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). As of January 1, 2032, intentionally added PFAS are banned in cosmetics, dental floss, juvenile products, menstrual products, and intimate apparel. The Act defines PFAS as “a class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom.” The bill...
August 25, 2025

EPA Releases White Paper on Determining the Absence of Novel Proteins in the Saliva of GE Mosquitoes for Mosquito Control

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on August 21, 2025, the availability of and solicited public comment on materials that are being submitted to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) for peer review on “Determining the Absence of Novel Proteins in the Saliva of Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes for Mosquito Control.” 90 Fed. Reg. 40829. The white paper, charge questions, background documents, and related...
August 22, 2025

EPA Extends Postponement of Effective Date of Certain Provisions of Final TCE Risk Management Rule

On August 20, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) extended the postponement of the effectiveness of certain regulatory provisions of the final Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk management rule for trichloroethylene (TCE) to November 17, 2025. 90 Fed. Reg. 40534. EPA is postponing certain requirements most recently postponed in June 2025. EPA notes that these requirements relate only to the TSCA Section 6(g) exemptions in the final TCE rule. As reported in our April 15,...