The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on August 11, 2025, the results of process improvements to accelerate the review of Low Volume Exemptions (LVE) in the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) New Chemicals Program. At the end of March 2025, EPA identified 79 LVEs waiting for review and established a dedicated team of risk assessors. EPA states that it completed the risk assessments and made preliminary decisions for all 79 cases during April and May 2025. According to EPA, 80...
On August 4, 2025, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published a notice of determinations that modifies the list of taxable substances to include the following 21 substances: polyphenylene sulfide, cellulose acetate (degree of substitution = 1.5-2.0), 4,4′-isopropylidenediphenol-epichlorohydrin copolymer, nylon 6, caprolactam, methyl ethyl ketoxime, iso-butanol, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol phenyl ether, methoxytriglycol, propylene glycol methyl ether acetate, propylene...
August 8, 2025
European Court of Justice Upholds Decision Annulling Harmonized Classification and Labeling of Titanium Dioxide
On August 1, 2025, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) issued a judgment upholding the 2022 decision of the General Court annulling the 2019 harmonized classification and labeling of titanium dioxide as a carcinogenic substance by inhalation in certain powder forms. As reported in our December 6, 2022, memorandum, the court annulled the European Commission’s (EC) decision to classify titanium dioxide as a suspected human carcinogen. The French government and the EC appealed the decision,...
August 8, 2025
Trump EPA Seeks Reversal of Ruling That Typical Levels of Drinking Water Fluoridation Present an Unreasonable Risk to Health
As reported in our February 13, 2025, blog item, on January 17, 2025, the Biden U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed a notice of appeal of the September 2024 lower court decision finding that the plaintiffs established by a preponderance of the evidence that the levels of fluoride typical in drinking water in the United States pose an unreasonable risk of injury to the health of the public. Food & Water Watch v. EPA (No. 25-384). At that time, it was unknown how the Trump EPA...
The European Commission (EC) released on July 7, 2025, a Chemicals Industry Action Plan (Action Plan) to strengthen the competitiveness and modernization of the European Union’s (EU) chemical sector. According to the EC, the Action Plan addresses key challenges, “namely high energy costs, unfair global competition, and weak demand, while promoting investment in innovation and sustainability.” The EC also released a simplification omnibus on chemicals to streamline and simplify further key...
On August 4, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a proposed rule entitled “Further Reconsideration of Procedures for Chemical Risk Evaluation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).” As reported in our March 14, 2025, memorandum, on March 10, 2025, EPA announced its intent to reconsider the May 2024 rule amending the procedural framework rule for conducting TSCA risk evaluations. According to EPA’s March 10,...
August 7, 2025
APHIS Seeks Comment on Petition to Deregulate Corn Developed Using Genetic Engineering
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on July 8, 2025, that it has received a petition from Bayer CropScience seeking a determination of nonregulated status for MON 95275 maize (corn) that has been developed using genetic engineering to produce two insecticidal proteins and a double-stranded RNA transcript to provide protection from feeding damage caused by targeted coleopteran (corn rootworm) insect pests. 90 Fed. Reg. 30035....
ACS Fall 2025 presents technical sessions, career development, networking, student programming and more. Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., will present "TSCA as a Driver and Barrier for US Manufacturing" during the "Policy Implications for the Chemical Enterprise" session on August 18, 2025.
August 6, 2025
EPA Issues Final SNUR for Graphene Nanoplatelets (Generic)
On July 29, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued final significant use rules (SNUR) for certain 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 an Order issued by EPA pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 90 Fed. Reg. 35624. The SNURs require persons who intend to manufacture (including import) or process any of the...
August 6, 2025
Cefic Publishes Position Paper on EU Bioeconomy Strategy, Calls for Industrial Bioeconomy Strategy
On July 1, 2025, the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) announced a new position paper and five-point action plan that will “help deliver a [European Union (EU)] Bioeconomy Strategy that supports the scale-up of bio-based chemistry, biomanufacturing, and achieve industrial transformation while adhering to planetary boundaries.” According to Cefic, the European Commission (EC) should mainstream revision of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy into all forthcoming legislations. The revision...