All Knowledge & Insights By Date

On May 8, 2019, the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) announced that the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) will be initiating cancellation proceedings of chlorpyrifos.  In its press release, CalEPA states that the decision to commence cancellation proceedings “follows mounting evidence, including recent findings by the state’s independent Scientific Review Panel on Toxic Air Contaminants, that the pesticide causes serious health...

On May 17, 2019, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announced that its presentations at the May 20-22, 2019, American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Expo (AIHce EXP) include: PDC 601: How to Assess and Manage Nanomaterial RisksPresenters:  Laura Hodson, Adrienne EastlakeType:  Professional Development Course, May 19, 2019; 119 — An Evaluation of Engineered Nanomaterial Safety Data Sheets Post [Globally Harmonized System of...

On May 9, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would soon be making available a signed action signed on May 6, 2019, that identifies chemical substances for inactive designation according to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory Notification (Active-Inactive) Requirements rule.  The pre-publication version of the notice is available here.  Specifically, EPA states that the signed action is a companion to the first version of the TSCA...

The American Chemical Society (ACS) has posted the slides from its May 16, 2019, webinar on working safely with nanomaterials in the laboratory.  Chuck Geraci, Associate Director for Emerging Technologies at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), moderated a panel including: Ken Kretchman, Director of Environmental Health Safety, North Carolina State University; Craig Merlic, Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); and...

Global chemical substance notification deadlines continue to populate the regulatory horizon. For companies active in worldwide markets, it’s crucial to review and meet all important notification and registration deadlines in each country. This article focuses on South Korea’s policy and explains why it’s essential to meet these deadlines.

By Lynn L. Bergeson On May 13, 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued in final guidance designed to assist sponsors in demonstrating that a proposed biological product is interchangeable with a reference product for the purposes of submitting a marketing application or supplement. This would mean that an abbreviated licensure pathway would be created, where biological products shown to be biosimilar to or interchangeable with an FDA-licensed biological reference product may be...

By Lynn L. Bergeson On May 14, 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced that scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new, plant-derived, stretchy material that outperforms the adhesiveness of the natural chemical that gives mussels the ability to stick to rocks and ships. Composed of lignin and epoxy, the biobased material has the ability to self-heal...

By Lynn L. Bergeson On May 15, 2019, DOE EERE’s BETO announced the deadline for concept paper submissions for a $79 million funding opportunity for bioenergy research and development (R&D): June 3, 2019. This funding opportunity includes biopower, biofuels, and bioproducts, aiming to reduce the price of drop-in biofuels, lower the cost of biopower, and enable high-value products from waste or biomass resources. The opportunity includes ten topic areas: Cultivation Intensification...

By Lynn L. Bergeson On May 15, 2019, Neste, a Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) member, announced the introduction of a sustainable menu to be served on Zero Island. A Neste initiative to find sustainable solutions for building a fossil-free future for an island, Zero Island is located in the Swedish archipelago. The newly developed menu, also known as the Zero Menu, has been developed with renowned chef Jonas Svensson, taking into consideration not only what is served...

The Science Times, “Plant Sugars Used as Raw Material for Plastics Chemical” The Epoch Times, “Chile-based Designer Creates Alternative to Single-use Plastic – It’s from the Sea” WNAX, “Minnesota Biofuels Executive Pleased Congress Holding EPA Accountable on RFS Waivers” Business World, “US EPA Proposes Hike in Biofuel Mandate to 20.04 B Gallons in 2020” VN Express International, “Biofuel Fails to Make a Difference in Vietnam,...