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Escalating tensions between the United States and Iran are reverberating far beyond the immediate theater of armed conflict. Energy markets have responded quickly, with oil and gas prices rising amid concerns over supply disruptions in the Middle East. But as recent commentary underscores, this moment is not simply another geopolitical flashpoint. It reflects a deeper structural reality: the global economy is caught in a molting phase of an incomplete energy transition. Against this backdrop,...

Recent geopolitical developments in the Middle East are reverberating far beyond the region, affecting global energy markets, fertilizer supply chains, and -- ultimately -- the economics of American agriculture. The turbulent and fluid situation illustrates how quickly foreign policy decisions and international conflicts can cascade through interconnected commodity markets, leaving U.S. farmers caught between rising input costs and volatile crop markets. Modern agriculture is deeply dependent on...

The U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) recently released two new Interaction Profiles for Toxic Chemical Mixtures, continuing a long-running federal effort to better understand the health effects of exposures to combinations of hazardous substances rather than individual chemicals in isolation. The two new profiles evaluate mixtures commonly encountered in environmental and indoor air contexts: Chloroform, 1,1-dichloroethylene (1,1-DCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), and...

Recent headlines have declared that the Olympics have “banned PFAS,” with athletes reportedly disqualified after testing revealed the presence of so-called “forever chemicals” on their equipment. The reality is more nuanced, and that nuance matters. The policy at issue does not originate with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), but with the International Ski Federation (FIS), which governs ski and snowboard competitions under its International Competition Rules (ICR). FIS has...

Current gyrations in foreign policy under the Trump Administration raise potential unintended impacts on the U.S. chemical industry, particularly at the intersection of international regulatory cooperation, global toxics governance, and trade policy. While chemical regulation is often viewed as a domestic exercise, it is shaped materially by international alignment, mutual recognition, and trade-related obligations. Fractures in U.S. relationships with allies and multilateral institutions could...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) January 23, 2024, webinar, “What to Expect in Chemicals Policy and Regulation and on Capitol Hill in 2024,” is now available for on-demand viewing. During this one-hour webinar Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C; James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant, B&C; and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, B&C participated in a lively, timely, and focused discussion on the state of play and how they...

On May 30, 2007, the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy (CIELAP) released a document entitled Discussion Paper on a Policy Framework for Nanotechnology, which builds on policy issues discussed at a March 16, 2007, workshop. CIELAP states that it supports a goal statement and context for nanotechnology policy that is centered on an explicit recognition and endorsement of sustainable development.  According to CIELAP, the policy challenges for nanotechnology are...

On October 11, 2016, the Biofrontiers platform, a group of industry and civil society stakeholders brought together by the European Climate Foundation, released policy recommendations for the European Union’s (EU) 2030 climate policy.  The group stated that the transport sector has become the largest source of carbon emissions in the EU, and is therefore an urgent area to tackle following the Paris climate change agreement.  Policy recommendations put forth by the Biofrontiers...

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) issued a June 29, 2011, report entitled Racing Ahead: U.S. Agri-Nanotechnology in the Absence of Regulation, which claims that at least 1,300 products with engineered nanotechnology materials (ENM) have been commercialized, “despite myriad uncertainties about the public health and environmental effects of ENMs.” According to the report, several steps are needed for an operative and mandatory regulatory structure for nanotechnology...

On June 9, 2011, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced that the White House Emerging Technologies Interagency Policy Coordination Committee (ETIPC) has developed a set of principles specific to the regulation and oversight of applications of nanotechnology. The principles are intended to guide the development and implementation of policies, as described in the title “U.S. Decision-making Concerning Regulation and Oversight of Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials” that...