February 15, 2024

Recent Federal Developments for February 2024

TSCA/FIFRA/TRI                                                                                                                           EPA Announces Automatic Addition Of Seven Additional PFAS To TRI List Of Chemicals: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on January 9, 2024, the automatic addition of seven per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to...
February 15, 2024

USDA Proposes Streamlined Regulation for Biobased Markets (BioPreferred) Program

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), an agency of the Rural Development mission area within U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), issued a proposed rule on January 24, 2024, that would adopt changes from the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). 89 Fed. Reg. 4770. The changes include merging the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement (7 C.F.R. Part 3201) and the Voluntary Labeling Program for Biobased Products (7 C.F.R. Part 3202) into one...
February 15, 2024

Lynn L. Bergeson and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D. Quoted in Chemical Watch Article “US EPA forecasts issuing 14 TSCA test orders annually in coming years”

On February 14, 2024, comments by Lynn L. Bergeson and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D. were featured in Chemical Watch’s article on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) planned Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) test orders. Richard Engler, director of chemistry with Bergeson & Campbell, said the test order forecast in the final fees rule is "much more reasonable" than what the agency outlined in 2022.  Lynn Bergeson, the law firm’s managing partner, agreed. "EPA...
February 15, 2024

EPA Announces Experts for Letter Peer Review of TCEP Draft Risk Evaluation

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on February 14, 2024, the list of ten scientific experts selected to review the 2023 draft risk evaluation for tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Biographies of these experts are available in docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2023-0265. EPA states that it will hold a virtual public meeting on March 5, 2024, to review the documents and draft charge questions being posed to the reviewers and address any...
February 14, 2024

EPA Releases Final TSCA Fees Rule

On February 8, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its final amendments to the 2018 final rule that established fees for the administration of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The final rule includes changes to the fee amounts and EPA’s total costs for administering TSCA; exemptions for entities subject to the EPA-initiated risk evaluation fees; exemptions for test rule fee activities; modifications to the self-identification and reporting requirements of...
February 13, 2024

OECD Tour de Table Includes Information on U.S. Developments on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has published the latest edition of the Developments in Delegations on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials and Advanced Materials -- Tour de Table. The Tour de Table compiles information provided by delegations on the occasion of the 23rd meeting of the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) in June 2023. The Tour de Table lists U.S. developments on the human health and environmental safety of nanomaterials....
February 13, 2024

Register Now for B&C’s “FIFRA Hot Topics” Webinar on March 12, 2024, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EDT)

Register now to join Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) for “FIFRA Hot Topics,” a complimentary webinar covering key priorities for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) and what companies should know to avoid market entry delays and other commercial disruptions. During the Biden-Harris Administration’s term, EPA OPP has focused on long-standing challenges, including efforts to meet Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation...
February 13, 2024

EPA Accepting Comments on Candidates for TSCA SACC Membership

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on January 31, 2024, a 30-day public comment period on candidates currently under consideration for membership on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC). This public comment period follows a November 2023 call for nominations of scientific experts to be considered for appointment to the SACC. EPA notes that there are currently 18 SACC members, with eight membership terms that will soon...
February 9, 2024

NIOSH Collaborates Globally on Workplace Safety of Nanomaterials

On February 1, 2024, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) posted a NIOSH Science Blog item entitled “NIOSH Global Collaborations on Workplace Safety of Nanomaterials.” According to the blog item, NIOSH’s global collaboration efforts “build on the strong NIOSH [Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC)] research and guidance efforts contributing to the global technical information and guidance about protecting workers and aim to facilitate international...
February 9, 2024

EPA Will Hold Webinar on February 20, 2024, on Five Chemicals Undergoing TSCA Prioritization

On January 31, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will hold a webinar on February 20, 2024, at 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. (EST) on the five chemicals currently undergoing prioritization under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA states that the webinar is open to all, “but EPA is particularly interested in learning more about how these chemicals are used and how people could potentially be exposed at different points in a chemical’s lifecycle. EPA is also...