September 29, 2023

Karin F. Baron, MSPH, and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., to Speak at SCHC’s Annual Meeting

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are pleased to announce that  Karin F. Baron, MSPH, Director of Hazard Communication and International Registration Strategy, and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, will present the full-day Regulatory Jurisdiction Workshop on October 2, 2023, an intermediate course where participants will gain a clearer understanding of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Federal Insecticide,...
September 29, 2023

GAO Releases Report on Detecting, Limiting Exposure to, and Treating PFAS Contamination

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) publicly released a report on September 27, 2023, entitled “Persistent Chemicals: Detecting, Limiting Exposure To, and Treating PFAS Contamination.” According to GAO, examples of how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) enter the environment include: Manufacturing plants: Industrial processes can discharge PFAS-containing wastewater or emit PFAS into the air; Wastewater treatment plants: Effluent discharged from plants can contain PFAS;...
September 28, 2023

EPA and DOJ Claim eBay Unlawfully Sold Pesticides, Banned Chemical Products, and Devices That Defeat Pollution Controls on Motor Vehicles

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on September 27, 2023, that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), on behalf of EPA, filed a complaint against eBay Inc. (eBay) “for unlawfully selling, offering for sale, causing the sale of, and distributing hundreds of thousands of products” in violation of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). According to EPA, the complaint seeks a...
September 28, 2023

Lessons in Effective Government Advocacy — A Conversation with Mark Washko

Download transcript. This week I had the distinct pleasure of visiting with Mark Washko, Head of Federal Government Affairs at BASF Corporation. I have worked with Mark and admire his extraordinary communication skills, particularly his ability to advocate on complex science policy and chemical issues clearly and in a way that is relatable. We in the chemical community are constantly challenged on so many levels in this regard -- how to speak clearly, and to speak in a way that wins friends and...
September 26, 2023

IBA Agriculture and Food Section Announces Annual Conference Sessions on Antimicrobial Resistance and Biodiversity

The International Bar Association (IBA) Agriculture and Food Section (AFS) is sponsoring two sessions at the IBA Annual Conference Paris 2023, covering the increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as it impacts global food security and ways to protect biodiversity through legal instruments. Antimicrobial resistance regulation in the context of one health: how legislation can help reduce AMR, Tuesday, October 31, 2023, 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (CET), AFS is lead sponsor. This session will...
September 25, 2023

CPSC Requests Information on PFAS in Consumer Products

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published a request for information (RFI) on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in commerce or potentially used in consumer products, potential exposures associated with the use of PFAS in consumer products, and potential human health effects associated with exposures to PFAS from their use in consumer products. 88 Fed. Reg. 64890. CPSC also announced the availability of a contractor report with a focus on PFAS that are potentially...
September 25, 2023

ECHO Releases Updated Version of PFAS Analytic Tools

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on September 21, 2023, that the Office of Compliance within the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance has released an updated version of the Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Analytic Tools. The tools are hosted on EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) website. EPA states that the data visualization tools enable users to evaluate what is known about PFAS manufacturing, releases, and occurrence in...
September 22, 2023

Comments on EPA’s White Paper on Quantitative Human Health Approach to Be Applied in Risk Evaluation for Asbestos Part 2 Due October 2, 2023

On August 3, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of and solicited public comment on the document entitled “White Paper: Quantitative Human Health Approach to be Applied in the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos Part 2 -- Supplemental Evaluation including Legacy Uses and Associated Disposals of Asbestos” (White Paper) and related charge questions. 88 Fed. Reg. 51309. EPA states that it will be soliciting comments from expert ad hoc reviewers on the...
September 22, 2023

DOE Announces $18.6 Million to Support Production of Low-Carbon Biofuels and Bioproducts

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced on September 12, 2023, that it awarded $18.6 million in funding for eight university and industry projects to develop biomass feedstocks to produce affordable biofuels and bioproducts that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to BETO, the projects “will create good-paying jobs, support rural economies, and encourage participation of underserved communities, all while putting the United States on a...
September 21, 2023

Austrian Academy of Sciences Publishes NanoTrust Dossier on the Regulation and Safety Assessment of Nanomaterials in Cosmetics in the EU

In August 2023, the Institute of Technology Assessment of the Austrian Academy of Sciences published a NanoTrust Dossier entitled “Nanomaterials in cosmetics -- regulation and safety assessment in the EU.” The dossier states that to ensure “the highest possible level of consumer protection,” the European Union (EU) Cosmetics Regulation was adapted in 2009, with special provisions introduced for nanomaterials. These provisions include requiring the notification of cosmetic products...