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The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published a fact sheet on June 25, 2024, on the Biden-⁠Harris Administration’s actions to advance American biotechnology and biomanufacturing. According to the fact sheet, on June 25, 2024, the White House, members of the National Bioeconomy Board, and the U.S. Departments of Energy (DOE), Defense (DOD), and Agriculture (USDA) convened major biotechnology and biomanufacturing companies, nonprofits, and other stakeholders to...

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently noted that Health Risk Assessment scientists at MDH have published two articles in the Journal of Environmental Exposure Assessment related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): “A revised and improved toxicokinetic model to simulate serum concentrations of bioaccumulative PFAS”: According to MDH, the publication “presents an updated method to determine how PFAS accumulates in human bodies from birth through childhood.” “Per-...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) June 18, 2024, webinar, "There Is More to TSCA Reporting Than CDR: TSCA Sections 8(a), (c), (d), and (e)," is now available for on-demand viewing. During this one-hour webinar Dave Turk, Supervisor for the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Regulatory and Policy Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT); Stephanie Griffin, Acting Supervisor of the Data Collection Branch, EPA OPPT; Richard E....

During the June 26, 2024, “TSCA Reform -- Eight Years Later” conference, presented by Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), the Environmental Law Institute, (ELI), and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Michal Ilana Freedhoff, Ph.D., Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided the keynote address. During her remarks, Freedhoff announced four new initiatives in...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on June 25, 2024, that it will soon publish a request for information (RFI) in the Federal Register, beginning a 60-day public comment period. According to APHIS, the RFI will explore options to reduce the regulatory burden for modified microbes. APHIS states that it developed the RFI in response to stakeholder requests. Specifically, APHIS will request comments to help identify: Potential...

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is evaluating the function of the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON). As part of its evaluation, ECHA is conducting a survey to collect responses from EUON website visitors and stakeholders. The survey includes questions concerning evaluation criteria such as use, effectiveness, coherence, EU-added value, and utility. The survey notes that under an ongoing legislative proposal, the European Commission (EC) foresees setting up a common...

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will hold two public webinars in July to provide updates and answer questions on Minnesota’s per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in products law (Amara’s Law), which takes effect in stages between 2025 and 2032: Progress on rule development, July 18, 2024, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (CDT): Join MPCA staff for a presentation on preliminary rule writing for the PFAS in products reporting, fees, and currently unavoidable use (CUU) rules....

On June 14, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed rule under Section 6(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that would protect workers and consumers from exposure to N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). 89 Fed. Reg. 51134. To address the identified unreasonable risk, EPA proposes to: prohibit the manufacture (including import), processing, distribution in commerce, and use of NMP in several occupational conditions of use (COU); require worker protections through...

On June 12, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California (District Court) issued an Order granting a preliminary injunction brought by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), which alleged that the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment’s (OEHHA) requirement for warnings under Proposition 65 (Prop 65) related to titanium dioxide in cosmetics and personal care products violated the First Amendment. The Personal Care Products Council v. Bonta, No....

Download transcript. This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Elissa Reaves, Ph.D., Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to discuss Dr. Reaves’ recent ascent to this position, her approach to office management, her priorities and goals for OPPT, and some interesting comparisons and contrasts with Dr. Reaves’ former stomping ground, EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP). ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE...