2016 was full of surprises, two of which are driving much of the environmental agenda for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2017. First, Congress significantly amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in June of 2016. The changes are intended to reform the program to address the widely recognized deficiencies in the law, especially regarding existing chemicals, chemical testing, Confidential Business Information (CBI) claims, and preemption of state...
June 30, 2017
DOE Announces $32 Million In Funding For Small Businesses Developing Clean Energy Technology
By Lauren M. Graham, Ph.D. On June 21, 2017, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that 32 small businesses across 18 states will receive a total of $32 million in grants to develop clean energy technologies that have a strong potential for commercialization and job creation. The funding was provided by DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The 32 projects were selected based on scientific and technical...
June 30, 2017
NBB Meets With Congress On Biodiesel Tax Incentive
By Kathleen M. Roberts On June 20, 2017, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) announced that nearly 100 biodiesel advocates from across the country visited Capitol Hill to urge Congress to bring back the biodiesel tax incentive as proposed in both chambers of Congress. Industry participants consisted of biodiesel producers, distributors, and feedstock suppliers from over 24 states. According to Anne Steckel, the Vice President of Federal Affairs at NBB, the bipartisan biodiesel...
By Lauren M. Graham, Ph.D. On June 19, 2017, Synthetic Genomics Inc. announced a breakthrough in its collaboration with ExxonMobil involving the modification of an algae strain that more than doubled its oil content to 40 percent without significantly inhibiting the strain’s growth. Synthetic Genomics researchers identified a genetic switch that could be fine-tuned to regulate the conversion of carbon to oil in the algae species, Nannochloropsis gaditana, and established a...
The BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology takes place July 23-26, 2017, at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, and features two new tracks on Flavors, Fragrances and Food Ingredients, and Agricultural Crop Technologies and Biomass Supply. Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) will co-host a Bioeconomy Leaders and Innovators Reception on July 25, 2017, with Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C. More details to come. Richard E. Engler, Ph.D.,...
June 30, 2017
Weekly Roundup of Other Biobased News
Platts, “Recent California LCFS Case Ruling Unlikely to Affect State's Market: Sources” UPM Biofuels, “Ecofys Study on Crude Tall Oil Markets and Availability: Sufficient Supply for Advanced Biofuels, Biomaterials and Energy Usage” University of Illinois, “Corn Better Used As Food Than Biofuel, Study Finds” Chemical & Engineering News, “Green Synthesized Biofuel Meets Auto Standards”
June 29, 2017
NanoDefine Will Hold Workshop on Measurement and Classification of Nanomaterials According to the EC Definition
On October 24, 2017, NanoDefine will hold a one-day workshop in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. The main purpose of the workshop is to provide a practical demonstration of newly developed measurement techniques to end-users who have to implement the European Commission’s (EC) recommendation on the definition of a nanomaterial (2011/696/EU). NanoDefine experts have developed a wide panel of new validated measurement methods, techniques, instruments, and software to classify...
June 29, 2017
Charles Auer Quoted in Inside EPA Article “The Emerging Debate Over New TSCA Rules: ‘Achievable’ v. ‘Lawful’”
On June 29, 2017, Charles M. Auer, Senior Regulatory and Policy Advisor with Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), was quoted by Inside EPA in an article regarding Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) framework rules and how they should be implemented. His comments were made on June 27, 2017, during an Environmental Law Institute (ELI) conference celebrating the reformed law’s first anniversary. […] Former career EPA toxics chief Charles Auer, now with the law firm...
The Acta Group (Acta®) has been closely tracking the development of Brazil’s Industrial Chemicals Regulation (Regulação de Substâncias Químicas Industriais, or Regulação), which still only exists in draft form. As discussed in our Global Regulatory Update for June 2017, “on May 22, 2017, it was announced that, due to changes inside the Brazilian Ministry of Environment (Ministério do Meio Ambiente, or MMA), the extraordinary meetings of the National Commission of...
June 28, 2017
Complaint Filed Against EPA for FOIA Communication Records Related to Chlorpyrifos Order
On June 22, 2017, a complaint was filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by American Oversight, a nonprofit organization (Plaintiff), in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The complaint asks the court to compel EPA to provide information in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted by the Plaintiff on April 11, 2017, “seeking communications between certain individuals at each agency and certain outside entities...