The Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (SNO) and the Nanotechnology, Occupational and Environmental Health (NanOEH) Committee have partnered to present the 9th NANO Conference. This conference combines the interests of SNO and NanOEH by offering a virtual program containing sessions that are of interest to both groups. SNO is a permanent non-profit corporation that provides the infrastructure to carry out its mission of research, education, and responsibility related to both...
November 3, 2020
EPA Requests Comments on Its Proposal to Add Chitosan to Minimum Risk Pesticide Active Ingredient List
On November 2, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the proposed rule to add chitosan (Poly-D-Glucosamine) to its list of active ingredients eligible for EPA’s minimum risk pesticide exemption under Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Section 25(b). 85 Fed. Reg. 69307. The proposed rule is in response to a petition submitted to EPA on October 10, 2018, requesting...
On October 30, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule on the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) regulation that revises the requirements on the pesticide application exclusion zone (AEZ), defined as an “area surrounding the point(s) of pesticide discharge from the application equipment that must generally be free of all persons during pesticide applications.” According to EPA, the targeted changes improve the enforceability and...
November 2, 2020
Register Now for SNO and NanOEH’s Virtual Nanotechnology Conference on November 12 and 13, 2020
The Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (SNO) and the Nanotechnology, Occupational and Environmental Health (NanOEH) Committee have partnered to present the 9th NANO Conference. This conference combines the interests of SNO and NanOEH by offering a virtual program containing sessions that are of interest to both groups. SNO is a permanent non-profit corporation that provides the infrastructure to carry out its mission of research, education, and responsibility related to both...
November 2, 2020
Lynn L. Bergeson and Eve C. Gartner, “The essentials of TSCA practice,” ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Trends, November/December 2020.
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is not the arcane federal law it once was. Amended in 2016 in response to a demand so loud and persistent from nongovernmental organizations, consumers, and, eventually, the industrial chemical community that Congress could no longer ignore it, TSCA is now a force with which to be reckoned. While the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) implementation of the 2016 Lautenberg Act that amended TSCA invites criticism among stakeholders, there...
November 2, 2020
EPA Announces the Issuance of an Advisory on UV Lights That Claim to Kill or Be Effective against Viruses and Bacteria
On October 30, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) announced that it issued a Compliance Advisory on ultraviolet (UV) lights claiming to kill or be effective against viruses and bacteria. EPA states that the Advisory was issued to provide an explanation to the UV light industry that UV lights are regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) as pesticide devices...
ABA SEER And CropLife America Present New Developments In Pesticide Law And Policy: Registration is now open for the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER) and CropLife America virtual conference entitled New Developments in Pesticide Law and Policy on November 18, 2020. The program provides important updates on U.S. pesticide law and policy issues with Lisa M. Campbell, Partner, Bergeson & Campbell,...
October 30, 2020
EPA Issues Annual Progress Report on Pesticide Reregistration Performance Measures and Goals
On October 28, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the availability of its progress report in meeting its performance measures and goals for pesticide reregistration during fiscal year (FY) 2018 (2018 Report). 85 Fed. Reg. 68327. Section 4(l) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) requires EPA to publish information about EPA’s annual achievements in this area. The...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on October 29, 2020, that it is releasing a revised draft risk evaluation for C.I. Pigment Violet 29 (PV29) for public comment and peer review under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA states that after it issued a draft risk evaluation in November 2018, it received additional data on PV29 in response to test orders, as well as additional information voluntarily submitted by the sole U.S. manufacturer. According to...
On October 14, 2020, a coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGO) petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to request that EPA require health and environmental effects testing on 54 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The petition seeks issuance of a rule or order under TSCA Section 4 compelling The Chemours Company (Chemours) to fund and carry out this testing under the direction of a panel of...