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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on September 27, 2023, that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), on behalf of EPA, filed a complaint against eBay Inc. (eBay) “for unlawfully selling, offering for sale, causing the sale of, and distributing hundreds of thousands of products” in violation of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). According to EPA, the complaint seeks...

Download transcript. This week I had the distinct pleasure of visiting with Mark Washko, Head of Federal Government Affairs at BASF Corporation. I have worked with Mark and admire his extraordinary communication skills, particularly his ability to advocate on complex science policy and chemical issues clearly and in a way that is relatable. We in the chemical community are constantly challenged on so many levels in this regard — how to speak clearly, and to speak...

The International Bar Association (IBA) Agriculture and Food Section (AFS) is sponsoring two sessions at the IBA Annual Conference Paris 2023, covering the increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as it impacts global food security and ways to protect biodiversity through legal instruments. Antimicrobial resistance regulation in the context of one health: how legislation can help reduce AMR, Tuesday, October 31, 2023, 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (CET), AFS is lead sponsor. This session will...

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published a request for information (RFI) on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in commerce or potentially used in consumer products, potential exposures associated with the use of PFAS in consumer products, and potential human health effects associated with exposures to PFAS from their use in consumer products. 88 Fed. Reg. 64890. CPSC also announced the availability of a contractor report with a focus on PFAS that are...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on September 21, 2023, that the Office of Compliance within the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance has released an updated version of the Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Analytic Tools. The tools are hosted on EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) website. EPA states that the data visualization tools enable users to evaluate what is known about PFAS manufacturing, releases, and occurrence in...

On August 3, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of and solicited public comment on the document entitled “White Paper: Quantitative Human Health Approach to be Applied in the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos Part 2 — Supplemental Evaluation including Legacy Uses and Associated Disposals of Asbestos” (White Paper) and related charge questions. 88 Fed. Reg. 51309. EPA states that it will be soliciting comments from expert ad hoc reviewers on the...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced on September 12, 2023, that it awarded $18.6 million in funding for eight university and industry projects to develop biomass feedstocks to produce affordable biofuels and bioproducts that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to BETO, the projects “will create good-paying jobs, support rural economies, and encourage participation of underserved communities, all while putting the United States on a...

In August 2023, the Institute of Technology Assessment of the Austrian Academy of Sciences published a NanoTrust Dossier entitled “Nanomaterials in cosmetics — regulation and safety assessment in the EU.” The dossier states that to ensure “the highest possible level of consumer protection,” the European Union (EU) Cosmetics Regulation was adapted in 2009, with special provisions introduced for nanomaterials. These provisions include requiring the notification of cosmetic products...

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) published a blog item on September 18, 2023, entitled “Now’s the Time — How EPA Can Use TSCA to Turn Off the PFAS Tap.” According to EDF, for both previously approved per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and for new PFAS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should: EDF concludes that by using its full authority under TSCA, “EPA can ensure a future where chemicals do not compromise our health and...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are pleased to announce that Lynn L. Bergeson and Lisa R. Burchi are speaking at Chemical Watch’s Regulatory Summit Americas (September 25 – 26, 2023) and PFAS Updates USA (September 27, 2023) conferences. On September 25, 2023, Ms. Bergeson will present “TSCA Reporting Including PFAS and Asbestos.” Topics include: Also on September 25, 2023, Ms. Burchi will present “Legal Requirements of the Federal...