On September 20, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is extending the submission deadline for 2024 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) reports from September 30, 2024, to November 22, 2024. The CDR regulations require manufacturers (including importers) of chemicals listed on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory to report data on the manufacturing, processing, and use of those chemicals every four years. For the 2024 data submission period, this applies...
September 20, 2024
Congress Fails to Pass Spending Legislation, but a Shutdown Is Unlikely
Congress has not passed legislation to fund the federal government for fiscal year 2025 (FY 2025) that begins October 1, 2024. The House of Representatives on September 18 tried -- and failed -- to pass legislation to fund the government into March 2025. The good news, however, is that Congress is expected to fund the federal government before the current funding expires at midnight, September 30. Congress will return to Washington, D.C., after the election -- and several months into FY 2025 --...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on September 18, 2024, the launch of an Outdoor Use Safer Choice label. According to EPA, this new label expands on its existing Safer Choice label and will identify outdoor use products -- such as pet care products, fire defense products, and car, boat, or grill cleaners -- that meet additional EPA criteria to help protect the environment. EPA states that it examines every ingredient, no matter its concentration, to make sure Safer...
September 19, 2024
Lynn L Bergeson, “PFAS Risk and the Role of the Corporate Fiduciary,” Corporate Disputes Magazine, October 2024.
Corporate entities are feeling the heat per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are generating. PFAS manufacturers are being sued in record numbers in the US based on novel legal theories involving personal injury tort claims, product liability, environmental damage and fraud among other things. Heightened legal activity in other jurisdictions, including the UK and the European Union (EU), is expected. Manufacturers of products containing PFAS, and their downstream users, are also becoming...
September 19, 2024
TSCA Reform: Eight Years Later — Panel 2: Risk Evaluation and the Supporting Role Sections 4 and 8 Play
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) called for nominations on September 18, 2024, of scientific and technical experts that EPA can consider for service as ad hoc peer reviewers to assist the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) with the peer review of the draft risk evaluation for 1,3-butadiene conducted under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 89 Fed. Reg. 76467. EPA states that it will submit the draft risk evaluation of 1,3-butadiene and associated supporting...
September 17, 2024
OECD Publishes Synthesis Report on Understanding Perfluoropolyethers and Their Life Cycle
On September 12, 2024, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a report entitled Synthesis report on understanding Perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs) and their life cycle. OECD states that the report presents a synthesis of publicly available information on PFPEs with the aim of elucidating the identities of PFPEs on the global market and analyzing their life cycle. OECD notes that this includes their production and use, presence of other per- and polyfluoroalkyl...
September 16, 2024
Recent Federal Developments for September 2024
TSCA/FIFRA/TRI EPA Updates Safer Choice And DfE Standard: 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...
The Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule requires manufacturers (including importers) to report data to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) every four years. The 2024 submission period began June 1, 2024, and will end September 30, 2024. The CDR rule requires all companies to report data electronically using e-CDRweb through EPA’s Central Data Exchange (CDX) system. CDR reporting in CDX is currently malfunctioning, however. EPA has issued two alerts: If a reporter...
September 12, 2024
NIOSH Blog Item Highlights NTRC’s Toxicology and Internal Dose Team
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) posted a blog item on September 10, 2024, entitled “NTRC Marks 20 Years of Studying Nanotoxicology: Highlights from the Toxicology and Internal Dose Team” that reviews the Nanotechnology Research Center’s (NTRC) achievements in the field of nanotechnology. The blog item highlights where NTRC started, where it is now, NTRC’s partnerships, and its work modeling workplace exposure to assess toxicity. According to the blog...