All Knowledge & Insights By Date

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching a webinar series in collaboration with the PETA Science Consortium International (PSCI), Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS), and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR). According to EPA, the quarterly series will focus on the use of new approach methodologies (NAM), or alternative methods to reduce vertebrate animal testing, for risk assessment within EPA and CDPR. The first webinar in the series will take place...

On July 12, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule establishing the applicable volumes and percentage standards for 2023 through 2025 for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel (BBD), advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel. 88 Fed. Reg. 44468. The final rule also establishes the second supplemental standard addressing the judicial remand of the 2016 standard-setting rulemaking. Finally, according to EPA, the rule makes several regulatory changes to...

On August 1, 2023, Earthjustice filed a citizen petition under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish regulations prohibiting the manufacturing, processing, use, and distribution of N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N’-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) (Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number® (CAS RN®) 793-24-8) for and in tires. Earthjustice filed the petition on behalf of the Yurok Tribe, the Port Gamble...

On July 25, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an opportunity for public input on the potential expansion of the Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) programs’ certification to new product categories. EPA notes in its July 27, 2023, Federal Register notice that Safer Choice “helps consumers, businesses, and purchasers find products that perform and contain ingredients that are safer for human health and the environment.” 88...

On August 2, 2023, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) announced that it published a study that systematically reviews and assesses alternative methods for the testing of the safety of nanomaterials without the use of animals. According to EUON, the main aim of the study was to collect and provide accurate and transparent information on new approach methodologies (NAM) available for the human safety assessment of nanomaterials and to create a comprehensive...

On August 1, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first five product and service categories chosen for the expansion of its Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing (Recommendations). EPA notes that this action supports the broader effort announced last year to expand the Recommendations by assessing additional standards and ecolabels. EPA states that later in 2023, it anticipates announcing the...

On August 2, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report entitled The EPA Lacks Complete Guidance for the New Chemicals Program to Ensure Consistency and Transparency in Decisions. According to OIG, EPA’s New Chemicals Division (NCD) “lacks assurance that the new chemicals review process operates as intended and achieves its objective to protect human health and the environment.” OIG made four recommendations, including...

On August 3, 2023, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) announced that it would accept stakeholder comment on its rule concept draft language that would prohibit manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors from offering for sale or for promotional purposes in Maine certain types of food packaging to which per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been intentionally introduced. MDEP states that it has the authority to prohibit the sale of a food package to which...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton   On July 27, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced that its Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC) recently published eight new technical reports and case studies. According to BETO, the publications examine the environmental and economic impacts of a variety of feedstock characteristics and processing techniques: Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emission Impacts of Forest Residue...

Download transcript. This week I had the pleasure of visiting with Dr. Lesa Rice-Jackson, CPPS, Managing Principal Consultant, Rice Jackson Health Safety & Regulatory Compliance Consulting, to discuss Lesa’s expertise in occupational safety and health and product stewardship issues. Dr. Jackson has a distinguished career in private practice as an employee of a large industrial chemical company, and now is President of her own consultancy. Lesa is both a much sought after service provider...