The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted a June 17, 2010, document entitled “Interim Technical Guidance for Assessing Screening Level Environmental Fate and Transport of, and General Population, Consumer, and Environmental Exposure to Nanomaterials.” According to the Interim Guidance, EPA prepared it “to serve as a guide when developing screening level exposure and environmental fate and transport assessments for nanomaterials,” such as those submitted under the Toxic...
November 18, 2010
EPA Proposes EDSP Policies and Procedures for SDWA Chemicals and Issues Second List of Chemicals for EDSP Tier 1 Screening
On November 17, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published draft policies and procedures for screening Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) chemicals under the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). 75 Fed. Reg. 70558. "SDWA chemicals" are substances which "may be found in sources of drinking water if the Administrator determines that a substantial population may be exposed" (SDWA Section 1457). In the notice, EPA divided SDWA chemicals into two groups: those that are...
November 17, 2010
EPA Announces Second List of Chemicals for EDSP Screening and Publication of Proposed Policies and Procedures
On November 17, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the second list of chemicals and substances for which EPA intends to issue test orders under the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). 75 Fed. Reg. 70248. EPA states that the list of 134 chemicals "includes a large number of pesticides, two perfluorocarbon compounds (PFCs), and three pharmaceuticals (erythromycin, nitroglycerin, and quinoline). This list also consists of an array of other chemicals, ranging...
The National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) recently announced new administrative processes for the notification and assessment of industrial nanomaterials that are considered new chemicals, which will be of interest to companies introducing nanomaterials as new chemicals in Australia. NICNAS is the governmental, industrial chemical notification system in Australia and is responsible for the management of the Australian Inventory of Chemical Substances. After...
November 12, 2010
EPA Ready to Revise Rules for Pesticide Data Submission and Compensation
The November 12, 2010, issue of Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News quotes Lynn L. Bergeson on the affect of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed revisions to the data compensation regulations.
November 10, 2010
NOSB Recommends Prohibiting Engineered Nanomaterials from Certified Organic Products
At the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Standards Board’s (NOSB) October 25-28, 2010, meeting, NOSB unanimously recommended that the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) prohibit engineered nanomaterials from certified organic products. NOSB considered a September 2, 2010, guidance document prepared by its Materials Committee concerning engineered nanomaterials in organic production, processing, and packaging. According to the Materials Committee,...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) subpoenaed Halliburton Co. on November 10, 2010, for hydraulic fracturing data citing, among others, authority under Section 11(c) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). In response to a request from Congress to study hydraulic fracturing's potential impact on drinking water, human health, and the environment, on September 9, 2010, EPA issued voluntary information requests to nine national and regional hydraulic fracturing service providers,...
November 10, 2010
House GOP Plans For Extensive EPA Oversight Face Key Staffing Hurdles
The November 10, 2010, issue of Inside EPA cites Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.'s November 5, 2010, memorandum concerning the 2010 mid-term elections.
ChemCon Daily quotes Lynn L. Bergeson regarding the effect of the mid-term elections on reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
November 9, 2010
Lynn L. Bergeson and James V. Aidala, “How the Elections Could Impact the EPA,” Law 360, November 9, 2010.
This article provides a summary outlook on possible implications of the 2010 congressional midterm elections on policy and legislative developments in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation of chemicals and pesticides.