In our June 29, 2016, Clients and Friends memorandum, Brazil Moves Closer to National Chemical Inventory, we discussed Brazil's pending Industrial Chemicals Regulation (Regulação de Substâncias Químicas Industriais, or Regulação) predicting its imminent publication in the Brazilian Official Gazette, the Diário Oficial. On June 30, 2016, the Regulação was released for an approximately 45-day comment period. While generally adhering to both industry expectations for...
B&C Senior Regulatory Consultant Michael S. Wenk, M.S., presented “Chemical Management in Central and South America”.
July 5, 2016
Lynn L. Bergeson, “CRS Prepares “Policy Primer” on Nanotechnology,” Nanotechnology Now, July 6, 2016.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) prepared a June 28, 2016, report, Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer. The report provides an overview of federal research and development (R&D) in nanotechnology, U.S. competitiveness in the field, environmental, health, and safety (EHS) concerns, nanomanufacturing, and public understanding of and attitudes toward nanotechnology. According to the report, while more than 60 nations established similar programs after the launch of the National...
On July 15, 2016, Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of Bergeson & Campbell (B&C®), was quoted in an Environmental Leader article on the impacts of the loss of a green chemistry provision from Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Reform. As Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell writes in a blog post, the provision “called for a study of how to best incentivize sustainable chemistry research and development, as well as support ‘economic, legal...
July 1, 2016
IRSST Studies Efficacy of N95 Respirators in Conditions Representative of Human Breathing
On June 28, 2016, Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) issued a press release announcing the availability of a study on “Efficiency Evaluation of N95 FFRs under Cyclic and Constant Flows.” Researchers tested the efficacy of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) in conditions of constant and cyclical air flow, simulating human breathing, from 42 to 360 liters per minute. According to the press release, N95 respirators “are the personal...
On June 20, 2016, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a scientific opinion entitled “Priority topics for the development of risk assessment guidance by EFSA’s Scientific Committee in 2016-2018.” EFSA asked its Scientific Committee to review its cross-cutting guidance for scientific assessments to identify gaps requiring either new or revised guidance. The Scientific Committee identified topics to be included in its 2016-2018 work program without...
July 1, 2016
EPA Launches Q&A Webpage Regarding Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act
On June 22, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rolled out its new Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act Frequent Questions webpage. This webpage will be a resource for Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform-related updates and implementation plans. EPA has also posted a summary of key provisions, its six essential principles for reform of chemicals management legislation, the presentation from its informational webinar on June 30,...
TSCA/FIFRA/IRIS/NTP/TRI EPA Launches Advisory Panels: On June 15, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched two advisory panels designed to facilitate small businesses to provide feedback to EPA on three solvents. EPA has established a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel for a proposed rulemaking seeking to limit trichloroethylene (TCE), a chemical used in commercial degreasing operations, dry cleaning operations, and consumer products. EPA also created a panel...
On June 30, 2016, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted an informational webinar on the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, Public Law No. 114-182. A link to the presentation is available online. The topics from the webinar included: Major Improvements over Current Law; Specific Requirements for Existing Chemicals; Testing Authority; Confidential Business Information; Source of Funding; and...
July 1, 2016
WEBINAR — The New TSCA Series Webinar 2: Impacts on New Chemical Programs, July 14, 2016, 11:00 a.m. EDT
Chemical Watch complimentary webinar series on the "new" TSCA. The second webinar, “The New TSCA: Impacts on New and Existing Chemicals Programs,” will take a deeper dive into the profound changes that the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg) makes to TSCA Sections 4, 5, and 6. Panelists include: Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell P.C.; Richard A. Denison, Ph.D., Lead Senior Scientist, Environmental...