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The Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance (MOTA) will post this week a Technology Guidance Document entitled "Nanotechnology -- Considerations for Safe Development," which includes recommendations intended to enhance the safety of nanotechnology. According to MOTA, it is providing the Guidance for "the express purpose of assisting in the development of this technology, as failure to prevent exposures or releases will not just risk harm to health or the environment -- it will also impede...

According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) website, on July 30, 2010, OMB received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a notice concerning “Pesticide Products Containing Nanoscale Materials.” No additional information regarding the notice is available on OMB’s website. During the April 29, 2010, meeting of EPA’s Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC), William Jordan, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), stated that EPA was in the...

The August 2010 issue of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Environmental Factor includes an article regarding the Intramural NanoHealth Signature Program, which is intended to investigate the health effects of engineered nanomaterials (ENM) in susceptible populations. According to the article, ENMs are increasingly found in medications, cosmetics, electronics, and other consumer products, creating environmental as well as occupational...

Charlie Auer submitted testimony today on H.R. 5820, the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010. As many of you know, Charlie is affiliated with Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C), and we are pleased to share the copy of Charlie’s testimony for your information. The testimony Charlie prepared is offered strictly on his own behalf, and does not reflect anyone’s views other than Charlie’s. That said, given Charlie’s intimate understanding of the Toxic Substances Control Act and...

TSCA/FIFRA/NTP/EPCRA EPA And Other Federal Agencies Collaborate To Improve Chemical Screening: On July 19, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)/National Toxicology Program (NTP), and the National Institute of Health Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC) announced the addition of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Tox21 collaboration. The Tox21 collaboration enables federal agencies to develop ways to...

The July 30, 2010, issue of BNA Daily Environment Report references Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.'s July 28, 2010, summary and comparison of the House and Senate Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform bills.

On Thursday, July 29, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT), the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection held a legislative hearing on H.R. 5820, the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010 (TCSA). Witnesses at the hearing were (in order of testimony): Steve Owens, Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Richard Denison, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund; Calvin M. Dooley, President and Chief...

There are many nanotechnology governance activities underway at the federal, state, and international levels of which nano aficionados should be aware. Here is a quick summary of key initiatives.

Nanotechnology governance initiatives in the US abound and there is no reason to think the pace will slow. Lynn L. Bergeson offers a summary of key initiatives.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) recently signaled interest in revising the hazardous materials regulations (HMR) governing transportation of combustible materials. PHMSA seeks to harmonize domestic and international regulations applicable to transportation of combustible liquids.