On August 20, 2024, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) announced it will launch its electronic pesticide registration system, the California Pesticide Electronic Submission Tracking (CalPEST), on September 24, 2024. The launch of CalPEST will convert its paper-based pesticide registration process to a streamlined electronic system. According to DPR, it is conducting the final stages of testing and has identified areas for improvement in system functionality and security that...
August 22, 2024
NASEM Will Hold Virtual Town Hall on September 5 as Part of Its Quadrennial Review of the NNI
As part of its quadrennial review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will hold a virtual town hall on September 5, 2024, for stakeholders to share their thoughts on the future of nanotechnology in the United States. The overall objective of NASEM’s review is to identify opportunities and barriers to broadening access to nanotechnology research and development (R&D) infrastructure in the United States. As...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on August 8, 2024, the availability of the final updated Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) Standard (the Standard). 89 Fed. Reg. 64915. According to EPA, the update includes a name change to the title of the Standard, a revision to the packaging criteria, a new certification for cleaning service providers, a new provision allowing for preterm partnership termination under exceptional circumstances, and the addition of...
As reported in our August 7, 2024, blog item, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on August 1, 2024, that it will hold a public meeting on September 25, 2024, on the development of an enhanced systematic process for its post-market assessment of chemicals in food. 89 Fed. Reg. 65633. FDA has posted a Discussion Paper Development of an Enhanced Systematic Process for the FDA’s Post-Market Assessment of Chemicals in Food (Discussion Paper)....
August 22, 2024
Lynn L. Bergeson Quoted in Bloomberg Law Article “Health Agency Finalizes Fluoride Dose Harmful to Babies’ IQ”
On August 21, 2024, comments by Lynn L. Bergeson were featured in Bloomberg Law’s article regarding the publication of the National Toxicology Program’s long-awaited report about fluoride’s hazards. The NTP report is equivocal on the effect, if any, of low fluoride exposures, and saying more research is needed would seem to be unhelpful to Chen in making any dose-response determination in the case over which he is presiding, said Lynn Bergeson, managing partner...
August 21, 2024
EPA Authors Describe Categorization Approach to PFAS to Identify Potential Candidates for Testing and Human Health Assessments
On August 18, 2024, Computational Toxicology published an article entitled “Development of chemical categories for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and the proof-of-concept approach to the identification of potential candidates for tiered toxicological testing and human health assessment.” Co-authored by members of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Center for Computational Toxicology & Exposure (CCTE) and Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention...
August 20, 2024
EPA Proposes SNUR for Graphene Nanoplatelets (Generic)
On August 20, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed significant new use rules (SNUR) ) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for chemical substances, including graphene nanoplatelets (generic), that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMN) and a Microbial Commercial Activity Notice (MCAN) and are also subject to a TSCA Order. 89 Fed. Reg. 67368. The SNURs would require persons who intend to manufacture (defined by statute to include import) or process...
The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Biomaterials Program published a request for information (RFI) on August 20, 2024. NSF requests input from stakeholders on opportunities, challenges, emerging areas, and frontiers in biomaterials research. 89 Fed. Reg. 67498. According to NSF, the RFI will help inform future program directions, new initiatives, and potential funding opportunities. The Biomaterials Program supports fundamental materials research related to biological materials;...
August 20, 2024
Canada Begins 60-Day Comment Period on Computational Tool for Chemical Screening and Prioritization
As part of its implementation of the modernized Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), on August 17, 2024, Health Canada published a Canada Gazette notice announcing the availability of its Science Approach Document — Chemical Screening and Prioritization: Health Canada’s Automated Workflow for Prioritization (HAWPr). The science approach document (SciAD) describes the scientific approach that Canada applied to more than 25,000 chemicals on the Domestic Substances List...
August 16, 2024
IRS Announces Correction to Petition to Add Nylon 6 to List of Chemical Substances Subject to Superfund Excise Tax
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced on August 14, 2024, a correction to the stoichiometric material consumption equation in the notice of filing for the nylon 6 petition that was published in the February 22, 2024, Federal Register. 89 Fed. Reg. 66175. According to the notice, after the comment period for the original notice closed, an error was discovered in the stoichiometric material consumption equation for nylon 6, and the petitioner subsequently provided a corrected...