June 10, 2024

Lynn L. Bergeson, “EPA Bans Most Uses of Methylene Chloride,” Chemical Processing, June 10, 2024.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued on May 8, 2024, a final rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to address the unreasonable risk of injury to health presented by methylene chloride under its conditions of use (COU). To no one’s surprise, the EPA banned most uses of the chemical. However, surprisingly, the EPA also adopted a de minimis threshold to account for impurities and the unintended presence of methylene chloride. The final rule goes into effect July 8,...
June 7, 2024

There Is More to TSCA Reporting Than CDR: TSCA Sections 8(a), (c), (d), and (e), featuring Dave Turk and Stephanie Griffin from EPA OPPT, June 18, 2024, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EDT), via webinar

Register now to join Dave Turk, Supervisor for the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Regulatory and Policy Branch, EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT); Stephanie Griffin, Acting Supervisor of the Data Collection Branch, EPA OPPT; Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, B&C; and Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C, for "There Is More to TSCA Reporting Than CDR: TSCA Sections 8(a), (c), (d), and (e)." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been using...
June 7, 2024

EPA Engaging in “Administrative Deliberations” Regarding TSCA Section 5 Order Challenged by Cherokee Concerned Citizens

Cherokee Concerned Citizens watchers will be interested to know that on June 6, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed an unopposed motion in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to extend the deadlines in Cherokee Concerned Citizens v. EPA, (No. 23-1096). As reported in our April 17, 2023, blog item, Cherokee Concerned Citizens filed suit in April 2023 seeking review of an Order for a New Chemical Substance under Section 5 of the Toxic Substances...
June 6, 2024

New Date – June 13, 2024 – “Sponsor’s Role in Regulatory Testing” Webinar; Registration Open

Please note that the date of this webinar has moved forward one day, from Wednesday, June 12, 2024, to Thursday, June 13, 2024, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EDT). Register now to join Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) for “Sponsor’s Role in Regulatory Testing — Complying with GLP Standards,” a complimentary webinar covering the roles and responsibilities of Study Sponsors, as defined by Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) regulations and related...
June 6, 2024

What is Green Chemistry? — A Conversation with Joel A. Tickner, Ph.D.

Download transcript. This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Joel A. Tickner, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Public Health, University of Massachusetts Lowell, and Executive Director of Change Chemistry, to discuss green chemistry and Joel’s important work at Change Chemistry. We all appreciate that chemicals are essential to society. Green chemistry is all about engineering chemicals to diminish their adverse impacts and ensure chemicals, materials, and products are safe, efficacious,...
June 5, 2024

GAO Finds EPA Implemented Three Open Recommendations Related to Assessing and Controlling Toxic Chemicals

On May 28, 2024, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) publicly released a report entitled Priority Open Recommendations: Environmental Protection Agency. According to the report, since GAO’s May 2023 letter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented four of GAO’s 15 open priority recommendations, including three recommendations related to assessing and controlling toxic chemicals: In May 2023, EPA’s chemical assessment program provided information to its program...
June 5, 2024

NIOSH Science Blog Item Reviews NIOSH Risk Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) continues to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC). NIOSH highlights NTRC activities in the risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials in a June 3, 2024, NIOSH Science blog item entitled “NIOSH Risk Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials.” The item notes that NTRC risk assessments were used in developing NIOSH recommended exposure limits (REL) for three different classes of nanomaterials...
June 5, 2024

APHIS Issues RSR Responses for Modified Corn, Pennycress, Soybean, and Potato Plants

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on May 30, 2024, that it recently reviewed the following plants modified using genetic engineering to determine whether they pose an increased plant pest risk relative to non-modified comparators: Pioneer, corn with insect and herbicide resistance; CoverCress, pennycress with altered product quality; Qi Biodesign, soybean with altered product quality; and Michigan State University, two...
June 5, 2024

New Date – June 13, 2024 – “Sponsor’s Role in Regulatory Testing” Webinar; Registration Open

Please note that the date of this webinar has moved forward one day, from Wednesday, June 12, 2024, to Thursday, June 13, 2024, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EDT). Register now to join Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) for “Sponsor’s Role in Regulatory Testing — Complying with GLP Standards,” a complimentary webinar covering the roles and responsibilities of Study Sponsors, as defined by Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) regulations and related advisory...
June 4, 2024

National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology Announces Introduction of Agricultural Bills

On May 23, 2024, the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) issued a press release applauding its Congressional Commissioners -- Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Todd Young (R-IN) and Representatives Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) -- for introducing the legislative recommendations from its first report. The press release states that recognizing that food security and agricultural supply chains are key elements of national security, NSCEB developed its first...