The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on January 19, 2023, the availability of and solicited public comment on a draft white paper entitled “Availability of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP).” 88 Fed. Reg. 3406. EPA states that it developed the draft white paper pursuant to the Federal, Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), which requires EPA to develop a screening program to determine whether certain substances may...
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced on January 23, 2023, that researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) examined the benefits and trade-offs of current and emerging technologies for recycling certain types of plastics to determine the optimal options. According to BETO, the researchers provided a comparison of various closed-loop recycling technologies, which allow for the reuse...
January 24, 2023
Petition Filed to Add Polyphenylene Sulfide to List of Chemical Substances Subject to Superfund Excise Tax
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced on December 30, 2022, that it received a petition requesting the addition of polyphenylene sulfide to the list of taxable substances under Section 4672(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. 87 Fed. Reg. 80579. The petitioner is Celanese Ltd., an exporter of polyphenylene sulfide. According to the petition, “polyphenylene sulfide is a high-performance thermoplastic, has high heat and chemical resistance, and is used in applications such as filters,...
January 24, 2023
BETO Announces that Scientists from Multiple National Labs Are Finding New Ways to Convert Carbon Di
By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced on January 20, 2023, that a collaborative team of BETO-funded scientists from Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are searching for carbon utilization technologies that can make better use of the carbon dioxide generated by industry, transportation, and agriculture by transforming it into sustainable aviation fuel and...
January 23, 2023
EPA Announces Reinvoicing 2023 Annual Pesticide Registration Maintenance Fee to Meet Statutory Direction
On January 13, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is notifying pesticide registrants that EPA will send supplemental invoices to reflect the new annual pesticide registration maintenance fee for fiscal year (FY) 2023. To meet new statutory requirements in the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5), which was signed into law on December 29, 2022, the revised fee for FY 2023 for each registered pesticide product will be $4,875,...
January 23, 2023
OECD Will Hold Webinar on Test Guideline No. 125: Nanomaterial Particle Size and Size Distribution of Nanomaterials
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will hold a webinar on February 7, 2023, on Test Guideline (TG) No. 125: Nanomaterial Particle Size and Size Distribution of Nanomaterials. OECD states that it will present the methods described in TG No. 125 to determine the size and size distributions of nanomaterial particles and fibers spanning from one nanometer (nm) to 1,000 nm. During the webinar, attendees will be able to learn the use and limitation of the...
January 23, 2023
Petition Filed to Add Bisphenol A Epoxy Resin Copolymer to List of Chemical Substances Subject to Superfund Excise Tax
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced on January 19, 2023, that it received a petition requesting the addition of 4,4′-isopropylidenediphenol-epichlorohydrin copolymer (bisphenol A epoxy resin) to the list of taxable substances under Section 4672(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. 88 Fed. Reg. 3478. The petitioner is Westlake Epoxy Inc., an exporter of 4,4′-isopropylidenediphenol-epichlorohydrin copolymer. According to the petition, “4,4′-Isopropylidenediphenol-Epichlorohydrin...
January 23, 2023
EPA Announces Next Test Order Issued under National Testing Strategy for PFAS Used in Plastics, Chemical Manufacturing
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on January 4, 2023, that it issued the next Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) test order requiring testing on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under its National PFAS Testing Strategy. The test order requires companies to conduct and submit testing on trifluoro(trifluoromethyl)oxirane (HFPO), a perfluoroalkyl substance used in making plastics. EPA states that this is “the second test order under the strategy...
L’association de veille et d’information civique sur les enjeux des nanosciences et nanotechnologies (AVICENN), a French non-governmental organization (NGO), announced on December 15, 2022, publication of a report entitled Searching for [Nanos] in Everyday Products. AVICENN sought to obtain an “overview of ‘nano impregnation’ in everyday consumer products in 2021-2022.” AVICENN selected products from categories already tested (food products, cosmetics, and medicines)...
Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are pleased to announce the following hirings and promotions. Catherine M. Croke, DBA, has been named Director of Product Stewardship and Regulatory Affairs. Dr. Croke is a highly experienced professional with more than three decades of successfully developing and executing product stewardship and regulatory compliance programs within global specialty chemicals and materials companies. She offers clients an exceptionally broad...