A Recent co-authored paper discussed a number of fundamental changes in U.S. regulation of commercial chemicals that should be considered in revising the Toxic Substances Control Act. As discussed in that paper, while the Environmental Protection Agency under TSCA has broad authority to require testing and reporting of hazard and exposure information on existing chemicals via rulemaking, deploying these authorities have proven cumbersome and inadequate for dealing effectively with the thousands...
April 13, 2010
New OSTP Group Will Address Nanotechnology Issues
During the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) March 30-31, 2010, conference regarding “Risk Management Methods & Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications of Nanotechnology,” Tom Kalil, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), announced that the OSTP would create a new interagency group on emerging technologies, including nanotechnology. Kalil’s announcement is reported in an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) policy alert, which...
April 13, 2010
Lynn L. Bergeson, “Nanosilver: EPA’s Pesticide Office Considers How Best to Proceed,” Environmental Quality Management, Spring 2010.
In the super-hyped world of nano, nanosilver is the proverbial poster child for all things good and evil, depending upon your perspective. Silver enjoys many commercial applications, and its well recognized antimicrobial properties have been utilized since the beginnings of recorded history. Perhaps because of this success and high visibility, some are taking aim at silver and questioning whether there is too much silver used in industrial applications — and in particular whether there is...
April 12, 2010
DOT Considering Changes to Regulations Governing Transportation of Combustible Materials
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on April 5, 2010, issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) stating that it is considering revising the hazardous materials regulations (HMRs) governing the transportation of combustible materials. 75 Fed. Reg. 17111. Specifically, PHMSA is seeking to harmonize the domestic regulations applicable to the transportation of combustible liquids with international...
In a March 2010 fact sheet, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) describes how to determine whether a cleaning product is a pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Under FIFRA, pesticide products must be registered if they are considered to be intended for a pesticidal purpose. EPA states that products are considered to be for a pesticidal purpose “if the person who distributes or sells them claims, states or implies that...
More than 30 years have passed since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its initial set of regulations on the use and distribution in commerce of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and PCB items. Now with three decades of experience and information on PCBs and PCB items, EPA has decided to exercise its authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and reassess the regulations governing PCB use authorizations and distribution in commerce. On April 7,...
The April 6, 2010, issue of InsideEPA.com’s Toxics Regulation News reports on a recent NanoBusiness Alliance Federal Roundtable, where Lynn L. Bergeson asked whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is willing to meet with stakeholders to discuss a “less injurious” way for EPA to obtain the data it believes it needs concerning nanoscale materials in pesticides....
April 5, 2010
Firm Offers First Nano-Specific Insurance; Attorney Calls Liability Coverage ‘Good News’
The April 5, 2010, issue of BNA Daily Environment Report quotes Lynn L. Bergeson concerning nano-specific insurance offered by Lexington Insurance Co....
TSCA/FIFRA/NTP EPA To Increase Restrictions On Flea And Tick Products: On March 18, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will begin reviewing labels to determine which pesticide products for flea and tick control need revised labeling statements. 75 Fed. Reg. 13125. EPA intends to develop more stringent testing and evaluation requirements for both existing and new products, and expects these steps will help prevent adverse reactions. Following the 2008...
On March 29, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its action plan on bisphenol A (BPA). In its press release, EPA states that the BPA action plan “focuses on the environmental impacts of BPA and will look to add BPA to EPA’s list of chemicals of concern and require testing related to environmental effects.” EPA notes that, in January 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it had some concerns about...