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As the federal government endures another prolonged shutdown, uncertainty is rippling through every agency, with the impact clearly visible at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With only a fraction of staff on duty and most routine operations halted, the chemical and pesticide regulatory landscape faces a new round of challenges in both the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) and the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP). EPA’s September 29, 2025, contingency plan...

As Congress edges closer to another potential government shutdown, questions loom large about how federal agencies will manage critical regulatory responsibilities. For the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), even a short lapse in appropriations and critical staffing could have significant consequences for the implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). TSCA is built around statutory deadlines. For example, there are strict timelines for new chemical reviews under Section...

On July 29, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued final significant use rules (SNUR) for certain chemical substances, including graphene nanoplatelets (generic), that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMN) and a Microbial Commercial Activity Notice (MCAN) and are also subject to an Order issued by EPA pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 90 Fed. Reg. 35624. The SNURs require persons who intend to manufacture (including import) or process any of the...

On May 5, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) issued a consent agreement and final order between EPA and Cytonix, LLC (Cytonix). According to the consent agreement, in 2022, EPA inspectors discovered Cytonix’s potential noncompliance with requirements under Section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for a manufactured chemical substance consisting of short-chain polyfluorinated materials (Chemical A) that was developed as a...

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...

President Donald Trump's initial 100 days in office during his second term have marked a significant shift in the United States' approach to chemical regulation, emphasizing deregulation and industry facilitation over more traditional environmental and public health safeguards. President Trump’s actions, inactions, and policy choices during his first 100 days seem to have come at a cost, as polls show his approval rating has decreased to 39 percent, an 80-year low for a President’s first 100...

On April 25, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of new resources intended to help companies with the requirements described in EPA’s December 2024 final rule governing the review of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). According to EPA, the new materials “provide companies with clear instructions on how to include required data elements in the current system used for new chemical submissions while the agency works to update...

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published the Developments in Delegations on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials and Advanced Materials between July 2023 and June 2024 -- Tour de Table (Tour de Table). The Tour de Table lists U.S. developments on the human health and environmental safety of nanomaterials. Risk assessment decisions, including the type of nanomaterials assessed, testing recommended, and outcomes of the assessment include: The U.S....

On December 12, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued several final significant new use rules (SNUR) for certain chemical substances that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMN) and are also subject to an Order issued by EPA pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 89 Fed. Reg. 100361. Two of the SNURs are for substances identified generically as multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PMN P-21-216 and PMN P-21-217). The SNURs require persons who intend to...

On November 29, 2024, the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) that would update the December 2, 2022, proposed significant new use rules (SNUR) for 17 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMN) and are also subject to an Order issued by EPA pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 89 Fed. Reg. 94642. The SNURs would require persons who intend to manufacture (defined...