Category: General

December 8, 2011

DTSC Workshop on “Informal Draft” Safer Consumer Products Regulations

On December 5, 2011, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) held a workshop to review DTSC's "informal draft" Safer Consumer Products Regulations (SCPR) released on October 31, 2011. The Acta Group, L.L.C.'s (Acta) memoranda providing background information on SCPR are available online. DTSC began by reviewing the elements of the regulation -- the Chemicals of Concern (COC) List; the prioritization of products; the quality assurance of alternative assessments (AA); and...
December 5, 2011

EPA Conditionally Registers Nanosilver As a New Active Ingredient

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on December 1, 2011, that it granted a conditional registration for a pesticide product containing nanosilver as a new active ingredient. This memorandum provides additional information regarding this momentous regulatory achievement. HeiQ AGS-20 is a silver-based antimicrobial pesticide product that will be incorporated into textiles to suppress the growth of bacteria, which EPA states in its December 1, 2011, Decision Document "cause...
December 1, 2011

Global Regulatory Update for December 2011

OECD Publishes Schedule Of Chemicals Assessments: The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) announced on December 12, 2011, the availability of a webpage created on eChemPortal that provides links to existing scheduling information of national/regional and international assessments notified to the OECD by OECD member countries and stakeholders. OECD states that the links are provided "with the aim to assist in avoiding duplication across...
November 30, 2011

NTP Holds Listening Session on Proposed Revisions to RoC Review Process

On November 29, 2011, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) held a listening session on its proposed revisions to the review process for the Report on Carcinogens (RoC). According to NTP, its proposed changes are intended to "enhance transparency and efficiency and to enable the NTP to publish the RoC in a timelier manner. The NTP also seeks to maintain critical elements of the existing process including external scientific and public involvement, scientific rigor, and...
November 30, 2011

Save the Date—Endocrine Disruptor Webinar—December 20, 2010—1:30 p.m. (EST)

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. is hosting a webinar on endocrine disruptors on December 20, 2010, at 1:30 p.m. (EST). This webinar will focus on recent developments in the area of endocrine disruptors, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recent issuance of the second list of chemicals for Tier 1 screening, implications of the draft "weight-of evidence" and policies and procedures guidance documents, lessons learned from the first list of chemicals selected for Tier 1...
November 22, 2011

ANSI Hosts Webinar

Guidelines for Selecting Product-Related Environmental Sustainability Standards and/or Ecolabeling Programs The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) hosted on November 22, 2011, a webinar delivered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the General Services Administration (GSA) titled Guidelines for Selecting Product-Related Environmental Sustainability Standards and/or Ecolabeling Programs. The webinar provided an update on ongoing...
November 21, 2011

DTSC GRSP Meets to Review Revised “Informal Draft” Safer Consumer Products Regulations

On November 14-15, 2011, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control's (DTSC) Green Ribbon Science Panel (GRSP) met to review DTSC's "informal draft" Safer Consumer Products Regulations (SCPR) released on October 31, 2011. Memoranda providing background information are available online. Information about the meeting can be found online. During the meeting, DTSC provided an explanation for how the regulations were developed and then set forth questions for discussion on three...
November 18, 2011

U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” Includes Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C), B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM), The Acta Group, L.L.C. (Acta), and The Acta Group EU, Ltd (Acta EU) are pleased to announce that B&C is included in the 2011 U.S. News - Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" rankings for environmental law in Washington, D.C. The methodology for the "Best Law Firms" involved surveying thousands of law firm clients, leading lawyers and law firm managers, partners, and associates, and marketing officers and...
November 17, 2011

Senate Committee and Subcommittee Hold Hearing on TSCA Reform Legislation

On November 17, 2011, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the Committee's Superfund, Toxics, and Environmental Health Subcommittee held a hearing on legislation intended to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 (S. 847). Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), who introduced the legislation on April 14, 2011, and is Chair of the Subcommittee, chaired the hearing. The Safe Chemicals Act is intended to modernize TSCA to require chemical companies...
November 16, 2011

Congressional Nanotechnology Caucus Hosts Briefing on “Nanotech and Jobs”

On November 15, 2011, the Congressional Nanotechnology Caucus hosted a briefing on the impact of nanotechnology on job creation. Topics addressed included the best ways to encourage private/public partnerships; what kind of jobs nanotechnology investment can create; and where private capital is investing money in nanotechnology. Guest speakers included: Hilary Flynn, Lux Research;  Doug Jamison, Chief Executive Office, Harris & Harris; and  Robert D. "Skip" Rung, President and...