On June 16, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed a motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit requesting that litigation over its 2024 final rule regulating chrysotile asbestos under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) be held in abeyance for an additional six months. According to the filing, EPA intends to initiate a new notice-and-comment rulemaking to reconsider certain provisions of the rule. The litigation, Texas Chemistry Council, et al. v. EPA,...
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June 24, 2025
EPA Announces Availability of Updated Interim Maps Developed under Its Endangered Species Protection Program
On June 12, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of updated refined interim core maps that identify areas that EPA states are important to 12 threatened or endangered (listed) species and their critical habitats as designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). These refined interim maps are based on information developed by FWS and were developed by EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), and...
Register Now For “TSCA Reform – Nine Years Later” Virtual Conference, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (EDT), June 25, 2025: Complimentary registration is now open for this dynamic virtual conference providing updates and insights regarding the current state of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) implementation, ongoing and emerging issues, and related developments. As with our previous TSCA anniversary events, a stellar faculty of speakers from government, non-governmental organizations, industry,...
June 16, 2025
Loper Bright: Has the Demise of Chevron Deference Mattered?, July 15, 2025, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EDT), via webinar
Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to present “Loper Bright: Has the Demise of Chevron Deference Mattered?,” a complimentary webinar reviewing changes to Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) determinations in light of Loper Bright. The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2024 decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo offered a new response to a long-standing question under administrative law: if an agency and a reviewing court’s interpretations of a federal statute...
On May 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the release of a new federal report, Making Our Children Healthy Again (MAHA Assessment) issued by the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission. The MAHA Commission was established by Executive Order (EO) 14212 to: (a) study the scope of the childhood chronic disease crisis and any potential contributing causes, including the American diet, absorption of toxic material, medical treatments, lifestyle,...
On May 27, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) on “Restoring Gold Standard Science.” 90 Fed. Reg. 22601. The EO states that the Trump Administration “is committed to restoring a gold standard for science to ensure that federally funded research is transparent, rigorous, and impactful, and that Federal decisions are informed by the most credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence available.” The EO restores the scientific integrity policies of the first Trump...
June 2, 2025
Chemical Policy Crossroads: MAHA Report’s Assessment Calls for Reform Amid Deregulatory Trends
In response to President Trump’s February 13, 2025, Executive Order (EO) 14212, “Establishing The President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission,” the White House issued part of what is being called “The MAHA Report” (with MAHA an acronym for Make America Healthy Again), entitled “Make Our Children Healthy Again: Assessment” (the Assessment) on May 22, 2025. Section One of the Assessment, “The Shift to Ultra-Processed Foods,” includes the Commission’s thoughts on the...
May 21, 2025
Congress and the Feds — the Impact of Nonperformance
Ponder the following existential question: Who does their job less effectively? Members of Congress, or employees of federal agencies? Let’s examine the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees versus those responsible for legislating environmental laws. Congress has not been able to reauthorize environmental statutes for years, with some (most) needing significant attention. EPA relies on 1990 Clean Air Act amendments to sort out air pollution issues and address climate change...
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remain a top concern for regulators and the public alike. While federal regulators continue to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive response, including through the PFAS Strategic Roadmap, states are increasingly positioning themselves as policy innovators in this space. The recent announcement that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will issue additional guidance and extend the compliance deadline for the Toxic Substances Control Act...
On May 2, 2025, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the “[n]ext phase of organizational improvements to better integrate science into agency offices.” As part of this reorganization effort, Administrator Zeldin introduced the creation of the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions (OASES) within the Office of the Administrator. According to Zeldin, OASES will “align research and put science at the forefront of the agency’s...