James V. Aidala

Senior Government Affairs Consultant

F: 202-557-3836

Overview

Jim Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant with Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C^®) is a critical ally for any client addressing chemical policy, legislative, and related issues. He has been intimately involved with the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) legislative reauthorization and key regulatory matters for over four decades. Mr. Aidala brings extensive legislative experience on Capitol Hill and past experience as the senior official at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for pesticide and chemical regulation, and provides clients with vital insights into not only relevant current policies of EPA and sister agencies, but also the way these policies have been or are likely to be formulated to help clients more successfully address regulatory matters. This unmatched wealth of experience allows him to explain, interpret, and predict EPA policies to help clients resolve or address their issues.

Previous to joining B&C, he was former Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) (now the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention). As Associate Assistant Administrator for OPPTS, he led the team responsible for legislative drafting of the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act.

Together with his previous positions at high levels of government agencies, Mr. Aidala has 30 years of experience in both the legislative and executive branch in a variety of senior positions. He offers extensive involvement in both crafting and implementing the legislative and regulatory policies that underlie current EPA regulatory policies and practices for regulating pesticides and chemicals.

Before joining EPA, Mr. Aidala was a senior professional staff member on the Government Operations Committee, Subcommittee on Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources in the U.S. House of Representatives. While there, he was in charge of oversight of EPA’s implementation of FIFRA and TSCA from 1991-1993. Regarding biotechnology, as part of his EPA experience, Mr. Aidala was extensively involved in the development of EPA’s biotechnology regulations issued under both FIFRA and TSCA, and EPA policies affecting insect resistance management plans and possible impacts on non-target species such as Monarch butterflies.

Mr. Aidala also served as Director of Policy Development at the Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture, as a policy expert on FIFRA and TSCA at the Congressional Research Service, and as a staff member for the U.S. Senate Committee on Government Affairs, Subcommittee on Energy.

Mr. Aidala has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, USA Today, National Public Radio, and CBS’s 48 Hours. Interviews with national media include the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, National Public Radio, CBS News, Chemical Week, and Chemical Engineering News. Mr. Aidala has provided past Congressional testimony before the following committees:

House Committee on Agriculture
Senate Committee on Agriculture
Senate Environment Committee
House Energy and Commerce Committee
House Appropriations Committee
Senate Appropriations Committee

Representative Engagements

Successfully sought EPA’s written clarification of policy interpretation, which saved a client over $900,000 in a commercial dispute between pesticide registrants.
Convinced EPA that its interpretation of certain food tolerance requirements was incorrect, which otherwise would have eliminated all uses of a client’s product. The product continues to be available on the market today.
Advised a client regularly over an extended period about EPA actions regarding the possible phase-out of a product, to ensure that an orderly transition to alternative technology was achieved with minimal market disruption.
Appeared as an expert witness in trials where potential damage claims total hundreds of millions of dollars.
Routinely counsels clients on how to best approach officials at all levels of regulatory bodies to ensure that the most accurate scientific information and legal arguments are incorporated into pending decisions.

Articles and Writings

Lisa M. Campbell, Timothy D. Backstrom, and James V. Aidala, “EPA’s Evaluation and Determination of Epidemiological Data for Chlorpyrifos,” ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources PCRRTK Newsletter, Volume 18, Issue 5, August 2017.
Lynn L. Bergeson, James V. Aidala, Jr., Charles M. Auer, Richard Engler, and Oscar Hernandez, “Practitioner Insights: Enhancing TSCA Reform Implementation,” Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report, August 2, 2017.
Charles M. Auer, James V. Aidala, Lynn L. Bergeson, “TSCA Reform Legislation and Its Workability: Thoughts on Steps to Help Ensure Successful Implementation at the Outset and Over Time,” Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report, July 23, 2015.
Lisa M. Campbell, James V. Aidala, Susan Hunter Youngren, “EPA Guidance on Pesticide Drift Will Affect Product Registrations,” CPDA Quarterly, June, 2014.

Presentations

“What to Expect in Chemicals Policy and Regulation and on Capitol Hill in 2024,” Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., (January 23, 2024).
“Challenges Facing EPA’s Pesticide and Chemical Programs Response to PFAS Issues,” 2023 Center for PFAS Research Annual Symposium, (October 24, 2023).
“Special Lunch Discussion with Former Toxics Assistant Administrators,” TSCA Reform — Seven Years Later, (June 29, 2023).
“WEBINAR — FIFRA Hot Topics,” Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., (April 20, 2022).

B&C, Acta, and BCCM provide a full range of global support for the commercialisation of chemicals, biocides, and products of industrial biotechnology, nanotechnology, and synthetic biology.

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James V. Aidala

Overview

Representative Engagements

Articles and Writings

Presentations

B&C, Acta, and BCCM provide a full range of global support for the commercialisation of chemicals, biocides, and products of industrial biotechnology, nanotechnology, and synthetic biology.

Education

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