All Knowledge & Insights By Date

On May 16, 2023, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released publicly a report on its priority open recommendations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). GAO’s priority recommendations include three in the area of “assessing and controlling toxic chemicals.” According to GAO, EPA’s ability to protect effectively public health and the environment depends on credible and timely assessments of the risks posed by toxic chemicals, including per- and...

On May 26, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed amendments to the new chemicals procedural regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 88 Fed. Reg. 34100. According to EPA, the amendments are “intended to align the regulatory text with the amendments to TSCA’s new chemicals review provisions contained in the [2016] Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act” (Lautenberg Act), improve EPA’s efficiency in the review process,...

 On May 22, 2023, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and Center for Environmental Health (CEH) submitted “extensive comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) demonstrating serious health risks from Inhance Technologies’ unlawful manufacture of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during its fluorination of hundreds of millions of plastic containers.” According to PEER’s press release, the comments call on EPA “to deny the company’s...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) May 17, 2023, webinar, “TOP TSCA TOPICS: PFAS, Cumulative Risk, NAMs, Risk Evaluations, CBI, and More,” is now available for on-demand viewing. During this one-hour webinar, Anna B. Lowit, Ph.D., Senior Science Advisor, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT); Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, B&C; and Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C, discussed...

On April 20, 2023, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) issued a press release announcing that, together with the Center for Environmental Health (CEH), it sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking EPA to “fix” the public comment process for 18 significant new use notices (SNUN) for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) created by Inhance Technologies in the fluorination of millions of plastic containers. PEER...

The Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA) recently announced the release of its PFAS Prevention Model Act, which is intended to reduce the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). According to NEWMOA, it worked with a group of state officials from the northeast to develop the draft legislation. NEWMOA states that the goals of the draft legislation are to: NEWMOA states that the model “provides a comprehensive framework to help jurisdictions...

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report on April 26, 2023, entitled “Persistent Chemicals: Actions Needed to Improve DOD’s Ability to Prevent the Procurement of Items Containing PFAS.” GAO notes that starting April 2023, the Department of Defense (DOD) was prohibited from procuring items in four categories if they contain certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 includes a provision for GAO to...

Maine enacted An Act To Stop Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Pollution in July 2021. Under the bill, manufacturers of products with intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were required to report the presence of the intentionally added PFAS in those products to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) beginning January 1, 2023. As reported in our February 17, 2023, memorandum, on February 14, 2023, MDEP announced a much anticipated...

May 17, 202311:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EDT REGISTER NOW The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) has advanced groundbreaking science policy initiatives in furtherance of implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). As EPA advances New Approach Methodologies (NAM), cumulative risk assessment methodologies, and systematic review procedures, chemical stakeholders must understand directionally how these initiatives are...

On April 6, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a suit brought by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) to prevent Inhance Technologies USA (Inhance) from generating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) when fluorinating plastic containers. As reported in our January 6, 2023, blog item, CEH and PEER sought a court order restraining Inhance from continued manufacture of PFAS in violation of a...