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In a largely symbolic vote along party lines, on July 25, 2012, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee by a 10-8 vote passed an amended version of Senator Frank Lautenberg's (D-NJ) Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 (S. 847). Despite the Committee's passage of the bill, the legislation faces a headwind of opposition from Senate Republicans and the chemical industry and is unlikely to be passed this year. Republicans criticized the scheduled markup of the Safe Chemicals Act, particularly in...

On July 11, 2012, China's State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) published Order Number 53, Measures for the Administration of Registration of Hazardous Chemicals, which replaces its 2002 predecessor. Order Number 53 extends the chemical registration requirements to importers and manufacturers/producers. An increase in the number of substances defined as "hazardous chemicals" in China is also expected. The Order will enter into force on August 1, 2012, and the chemicals...

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics, and Environmental Health held a joint hearing yesterday entitled "Oversight of EPA Authorities and Actions to Control Exposures to Toxic Chemicals." The hearing examined current initiatives related to flame retardant chemicals as a means of exploring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) authority over chemical safety under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). During the July 24, 2012,...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C), B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM), and The Acta Group (Acta) are pleased to announce that on October 26, 2012, Lynn L. Bergeson will Co-Chair a Practising Law Institute seminar entitled "Chemical Management Laws 2012: Business Opportunity, Public Protection or Barrier to Trade?" The seminar will be held in New York City, New York, and there will be groupcasts in Columbus, Ohio; Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania; New Brunswick,...

On May 22, 2012, the European Union (EU) adopted the Biocidal Products Regulation (EC Regulation 528/2012) (BPR), which will replace and repeal the Biocidal Products Directive (BPD) (98/8/EC) currently in effect for regulating biocidal active substances and biocidal products. The BPR entered into force on July 17, 2012, with many new provisions going into effect on September 1, 2013, with a transitional period for certain provisions. The BPR is...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C), B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM), and The Acta Group (Acta) are pleased to announce that on August 1, 2012, Christopher R. Bryant will speak at the Corporate e-Waste Disposal Summit during the Panel Discussion, "Understanding the Environmental Impact of e-Recycling and Discussing Emerging Take Back Programs in Organizations." The Panel will address benefits of sustainability initiatives (e.g., lowering cost,...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released on June 28, 2012, an Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) "Comprehensive Management Plan," that EPA states is intended to provide strategic guidance and outline critical activities that are planned for the EDSP for the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2012 and through FY 2017. EPA states that although the plan is intended as an internal planning document, it made the Plan available to the public to be consistent with EPA's stated...

On June 27, 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of two sets of final test guidelines: Series 810 -- Product Performance Test Guidelines, specifically public health uses of disinfectants and sanitizers for use on fabrics and textiles (OCSPP 810.2400), air sanitizers (OCSPP 810.2500), and disinfectants and sanitizers for use in water (OCSPP 810.2600); and Series 850 -- Ecological Effects Test Guidelines (Groups B, C, D, and F). These guidelines are...

On April 16, 2012, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed its brief in its lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning EPA's conditional registration for HeiQ AGS-20, an end-use product containing nanosilver. NRDC filed suit on January 26, 2012, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (California) against EPA, seeking to limit public exposure to the nanosilver's use in clothing, baby blankets, and other textiles and prevent EPA "from allowing...

We are pleased to announce that Lynn L. Bergeson will participate in a panel on "Nanomaterial Safety: Do We Have the Right Tools?," hosted by the American Chemical Society Science & the Congress Project and the Nanotechnology Caucus. The June 27, 2012, panel will discuss whether current laws, such as the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), are adequate to regulate the novel properties of nanomaterials. More information and details on how to...