News & Events

Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report sought insight from James V. Aidala for the February 4, 2015 story "EPA Proposal to Increase New Chemical Fees Has Been Tried Before, and Failed." Jim Aidala, a senior government consultant with Bergeson & Campbell P.C. [and Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs with The Acta Group], told Bloomberg BNA that the proposal to increase the premanufacturing notices fee is a routine request included in Executive Office budget...

The Acta Group (Acta®) is pleased to announce the addition of Louise C. Boardall to the Acta EU team. Ms. Boardall provides experienced support to Acta's regulatory specialists in Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and other regulatory registration activities, as well as in the technical areas of physical chemistry and analytical methods, efficacy, toxicology, and ecotoxicology. She is also proficient in dossier preparation, data assessment, statistics...

The Acta Group (Acta®) is pleased to announce the addition of Louise C. Boardall to the Acta EU team. Ms. Boardall provides experienced support to Acta's regulatory specialists in Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and other regulatory registration activities, as well as in the technical areas of physical chemistry and analytical methods, efficacy, toxicology, and ecotoxicology. She is also proficient in dossier preparation, data assessment, statistics...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to announce the launch of the Pesticide Law and Policy Blog to report on federal, state, and international regulatory, legal, and policy developments involving conventional pesticides, biopesticides, antimicrobials, and other pesticide products. The blog is available at pesticideblog.lawbc.com; users may sign up to receive e-mails of new posts to the blog at pesticideblog.lawbc.com/rss. The Pesticide Law and Policy Blog...

South Korea's Act on the Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemical Substance, commonly referred to as K-REACH, is now in effect. The Ministerial Decree implementing K-REACH was published in the Official Gazette on December 24, 2014. K-REACH requires that any entity that manufactures, imports, or sells new and/or existing chemicals in South Korea, at greater than or equal to 1 ton per annum, report annually volume and use details unless otherwise exempt. In addition, all non-exempt new...

On January 16, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted a petition from the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) to add "biodiesel" as a chemical category for partial reporting exemption at 40 C.F.R. Section 711.6(b)(2)(iv) under the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule and will be proceeding with a direct final rule to be published later in January. The approved biodiesel category on the partial reporting exemption list will include the following...

Comments made by Lynn Bergeson were published by Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report in an article about recent and continuing efforts to pass a Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform bill. Federal preemption of state chemical regulation purposely was not addressed in a widely circulated draft revision of S. 1009 that never was introduced, and the preemption issue remains a challenge, Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell P.C., told Bloomberg BNA in...

Comments made by Jane S. Vergnes, Ph.D., were featured in a Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report article covering the initial determination by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that additional data are needed to establish that six chemicals submitted for inclusion as active ingredients in the over-the-counter sunscreen monograph using the Time and Extent Application processes are generally recognized as safe and effective.   The decisions show the bar...

Inside EPA featured comments made by Lynn L. Bergeson in an Inside EPA article on issues impacting TSCA reform: Lynn Bergeson, of the Washington, DC, firm Bergeson & Campbell, noted that the "rights of states need to be part of the discussion on preemption in reform talks during the next Congress," adding that the importance of the issue "cannot be overestimated' in securing approval of a TSCA reform bill."...

B&C Senior Policy Advisor Richard Engler, Ph.D., was quoted in a BNA Daily Environment Report article discussing the best ways to reduce or eliminate the use chemicals of concern by companies and regulators: "Understanding the functional use of a chemical is vital to maximizing the sustainability of a solution to a particular problem," Richard Engler, who served as leader of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Chemistry Program prior to joining the law firm of Bergeson...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are pleased to announce the addition of Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., to our firms as Senior Policy Advisor. Dr. Engler is a 17-year veteran of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is one of the most widely recognized experts in the field of green chemistry, having served as senior staff scientist in EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) and leader of EPA's Green Chemistry Program. Dr. Engler...

Inside EPA included comments made by Lynn L. Bergeson at the keynote address of the Chemical Watch U.S. Regulatory Summit discussing “the prospects for more substantive U.S. legislative change following the recent mid-term elections.” Lynn Bergeson stated that the “’rights of states need to be part of the discussion on preemption in reform talks during the next Congress,’ adding that the importance of the issue ‘cannot be overestimated’ in securing approval of a TSCA...

The attorneys, scientists, and regulatory professionals of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are proud to have authored Global Chemical Control Handbook: A Guide to Chemical Management Programs, recently released by the American Bar Association. Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of B&C and President of Acta, provided the guiding vision for this comprehensive desk reference book as editor and co-author. Reflecting on the work of her...

**REMINDER** Webinar Presented by Bloomberg BNAWednesday, December 10, 20141:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. (EST) For more information and to register, visit NAFTA Members' GHS Programs: A Comparative Analysis. The cost of the webinar is $299, which includes a CD recording of the webinar, or $224 for the webinar only. CPE and CLE credits are available. While the United Nations' (UN) Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) model provides a backbone for...

This webinar has now occurred. To receive presentation slides and a recording of the webinar, please contact chad.howlin@lawbc.com  Thursday, December 4, 2014Two webinars optimized for EU and U.S. participants EU-focused: 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. (EST)/11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (GMT)U.S.-focused: 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (EST)/6:30 - 8:30 p.m. (GMT) The Toxic Chemicals Control Act (TCCA) of 1991 -- the key law addressing the basic management of industrial chemicals -- will be...

Comments by Lynn L. Bergeson were featured in an article by Chemical Watch that discussed the likelihood that the U.S. EPA’s initiatives will come under increased scrutiny in Congress when Republicans take control of both chambers next year. “’Given Senator Inhofe’s strong views on EPA, it would not surprise me if he took direct aim at many EPA initiatives, starting with, but by no means ending with, climate change,’ said Lynn Bergeson of the law firm Bergeson &...

REMINDER Join Gradient and Bergeson & Campbell for a webinar and online discussion series regarding the scientific, legal, and business implications brought on by the widespread implementation of GHS principles. Major changes for chemical manufacturers and importers are in store on June 1, 2015, when the key provisions of US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard ("HazCom" 2012) take effect. HazCom 2012, which mandates alignment with the Globally...

Chemical Watch quoted Lynn L. Bergeson in a November 12, 2014, article about the effects of a Republican-controlled Congress. “’Given the Republican gains in the Congress, one scenario would be a strong effort to push through the Udall-Vitter proposal,’ said Lynn Bergeson of the law firm Bergeson & Campbell. If Mr Inhofe becomes the chair of the EPW Committee, ‘trying to make discussion, using this proposal as a starting point, makes sense’, she said.”...

SAVE THE DATE Thursday, December 4, 2014Two webinars optimized for EU and U.S. participantsEU-focused: 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. (EST)/11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (GMT)U.S.-focused: 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (EST)/6:30 - 8:30 p.m. (GMT) The Toxic Chemicals Control Act (TCCA) of 1991 -- the key law addressing the basic management of industrial chemicals -- will be divided, as of January 1, 2015, into two regulatory schemes: South Korea's newly minted chemical management law, the Act on...

Key Presentations, Video Clips, and Daily Reports from ChemCon The Americas 2014 New ABA book edited by Lynn L. Bergeson, Global Chemical Control Handbook, Announced at Conference ChemCon the Americas 2014 brought together an international audience of over 200 industry, regulatory, and policy leaders in Chicago, Illinois, October 27-31, 2014, to go in-depth on virtually every major chemical regulatory issue worldwide. Speakers included Mike Rasenberg of the...

Join Gradient and Bergeson & Campbell for a webinar and online discussion series regarding the scientific, legal, and business implications brought on by the widespread implementation of GHS principles. Major changes for chemical manufacturers and importers are in store on June 1, 2015, when the key provisions of US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard ("HazCom" 2012) take effect. HazCom 2012, which mandates alignment with the Globally Harmonized...

Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report quoted Lynn L. Bergeson in an October 31, 2014 article on silicon carbide. “Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell P.C., which has tracked global developments of policies and regulations for nanotechnologies, said IARC’s conclusions about carbon nanotubes reflect the state of the science as it exists today and are thus necessarily limited. ‘The good news is there is no data at this time to suggest carbon nanotubes...

Article Featured in Industrial Biotechnology Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and Of Counsel with the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®), Charles M. Auer of Charles Auer & Associates, LLC, and Oscar Hernandez, Ph.D. of Oscar Hernandez & Associates, LLC, have published "Creative Adaptation: Enhancing Oversight of Synthetic Biology Under the Toxic Substances Control...

Inside EPA quoted an October 23, 2014, email commentary from Bergeson & Campbell P.C.® discussing the effectiveness of the Toxic Substances Control Act Work Plan. The Work Plan "reflects a certain nimbleness and elasticity in the program, features that are essential to the success of any chemical assessment process,” said the email. "The update also speaks favorably of the Work Plan's ability to accommodate new information and recalibrate on an ongoing basis. . . . Although...

On October 21, 2014, the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) submitted petitions to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting that biodiesel fuel manufacturers be granted the same Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) exemptions that petroleum-based diesel manufacturers already receive. BRAG made its petitions through two mechanisms allowed under Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) rules. BRAG's petitioning of EPA was reported in the Bloomberg BNA Daily...

The October 24, 2014, Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report featured comments from Lynn L. Bergeson about the restructuring of the EPA’s registration division. “Lynn Bergeson, head of the law firm Bergeson & Campbell, told Bloomberg BNA that the impetus for these moves was likely to make sure the division meets its statutory deadlines to issue registrations. ‘I think the decision to reorganize was driven entirely by EPA’s desire to ensure more people are working on registration...

Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report quoted Lynn L. Bergeson in an October 20, 2014, story that explored the outcome of a Republican held Senate. “ ‘There are signs the House will remain engaged, suggesting that 2015 could be the year for TSCA reform,’ said Bergeson. ‘How extensive the reform, whether it will address all the TSCA issues that have been discussed for years, whether it will stem the tide of state chemical-specific measures and whether consumer confidence will...

Bloomberg BNA Chemical Regulation Reporter featured comments on the use of nanoengineered chemicals by Lynn L. Bergeson in an October 16, 2014, article covering a webinar on nanotechnology issues offered by the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA). "Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell P.C., who participated in the A&WMA's webinar, pointed to an example of a beneficial use of a nanoengineered chemical. The day of the webinar, the EPA...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are proud to be sponsors, presenters, and/or exhibitors at a select number of special events this Fall that will present focused education and guidance on key issues: WEBINAR -- Regulation of Nanotechnology: Practical Information for Industry, Researchers and Other Stakeholders, October 16, 2014, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. (EDT) This webinar, presented by the Air & Waste...

Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report featured comments by Lynn L. Bergeson in an October 8, 2014 story regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent withdrawal of a reporting rule regarding nanoscale materials that it submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) four years ago, and the significant new use rule (SNUR) it proposed the same day as the withdrawal (RIN No. 2070-AJ54). ‘‘ ‘Some of us had speculated that EPA had given up the...

Lynn L. Bergeson was quoted in Law360 discussing the recently released proposals to update the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). “‘Electing to eliminate any preemptive effect virtually assures the propagation of inconsistent, random state and local chemical regulations,’ Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell PC, said. ‘The patchwork approach to state and local regulations is the nemesis of the business community and a key driver for TSCA reform.’...

Chemical Watch quoted Lynn L. Bergeson discussing California’s influence on US and world regulatory programs: “ ‘In a word, size matters,’ said Lynn L. Bergeson. ‘California’s economy is the eighth largest in the world if it is compared to those of whole countries, and it accounts for 13% of US gross domestic product (GDP). The state has a rich, and well-deserved, reputation as a trendsetter. Its approach to the regulation of volatile organic compounds has been adopted by...

The benefits of forming or joining a chemical industry consortium go well beyond responding to test rules or other regulatory programs forcing coordination and cooperation among market competitors. B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM) assists a number of companies that are working together within formal trade groups to achieve industry-wide goals that single companies could not accomplish on their own. These include addressing misperceptions regarding chemical products,...

October 22-24, 2014, San Francisco, California With the Draft Initial Priority Product Work Plan by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) now released, it is important for manufacturers, importers, and retailers of consumer products in the categories listed by DTSC in the Work Plan to understand and address any issues. The upcoming Safer Consumer Products Summit, of which Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is a proud sponsor, will...

Wednesday, October 1, 20141:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. (EDT) This webinar has occurred.  For copies of presentation materials contact chad.howlin@lawbc.com.  Speakers include well-recognized experts on these complex issues: Jeff Dawson, Senior Scientist, Chemist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Health Effects Division and Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.'s (B&C®) Senior Scientist Susan H. Youngren, Ph.D., and Senior Government Consultant James V....

The September 19, 2014, Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report featured comments by Lynn L. Bergeson regarding the collapse of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform talks, specifically efforts to revise the Chemical Safety Improvement Act (S. 1009). Bergeson “told Bloomberg BNA the collapse of the bipartisan Senate discussions on TSCA reform was disappointing but not surprising. ‘Stakeholders can be encouraged by the late rally in the legislative cycle, and perhaps by whatever...

October 28 - 30, 2014, Chicago, Illinois Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is proud to once again be a sponsor of and program advisor to ChemCon, the premier global chemical control conference offering the most authoritative speakers, most in-depth sessions, and broadest global perspective on existing and emerging chemical regulatory schemes. Highlights from the diverse and substantive program planned for Chicago include: Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and...

Chemical Watch quoted Lynn L. Bergeson in response to Senator Boxer’s (D-CA) Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) counterproposal to the Chemical Security Improvement Act (CISA) sponsored by Senator David Vitter (R-LA). Bergeson said of the issue “I do not give Senator Boxer’s bill, or any other TSCA reform measure much hope given the lateness of the session, the lack of alignment on key measures in the bill, and the polarisation on matters generally in Congress. Whether the bill...

James V. Aidala was quoted in Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report speaking on the chlorpyrifos lawsuit. “This filing is probably a small piece of the environmental groups' much larger overall strategy, [said] Jim Aidala, a former EPA pesticide official in the Clinton administration and now a senior consultant at the law firm previous hitBergesonnext hit and Campbell. The agency has technically not yet missed its December deadline, he told Bloomberg BNA, so it is...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is proud to once again be sponsoring an SRA Nano Workshop in conjunction with the Emerging Nanoscale Materials Specialty Group of the Society for Risk Analysis. Nano Risk Analysis (II) will be held September 15-16, 2014, at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and it is not too late to join in: walk-up registrations are welcome. B&C's Jane S. Vergnes, Ph.D., DABT®, Senior Toxicologist,...

Stay Compliant and Competitive Under the Newer, Greener Chemical Control Paradigms The dramatic shift in law and policy away from the regulation of end-of-pipe discharges of chemicals into the environment toward a more proactive focus on greener ingredient selection and manufacturing processes to prevent pollution at the source continues unabated, with over two dozen states having considered and/or passed new legislation in 2014. Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is...

SAVE THE DATE Wednesday, October 1, 20141:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. (EDT) Within the last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun issuing guidance documents -- and at least one registration review decision -- that reflect developing EPA policy on spray drift and volatilization issues. How EPA endeavors both to identify and to manage the potential for spray drift and volatilization are likely to be key elements of ongoing and future risk assessments, with significant potential...

Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report featured comments by Lynn L. Bergeson regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recent conditional registration of HeiQ's nanosilver pesticide to be used on textiles. In the article, Bergeson is quoted as saying "the relevance of HeiQ is not just that the EPA approved a single application under the terms of FIFRA. It also telegraphs that EPA is open for business for the purposes of reviewing applications. That’s a big deal." The...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., (B&C®) is pleased to announce that Managing Partner Lynn L. Bergeson and the late Michael F. Cole prepared a chapter in a new book, Biointeractions of Nanomaterials, which covers a wide range of issues associated with the safety of nanomaterials in biological systems. The book, published on July 29, 2014, by CRC Press, addresses issues related to the toxicity and safety of nanomaterials and nanosystems, and covers a range of interactions in...

Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and Meglena Mihova, Managing Partner of EPPA SA, have published an article in the Summer 2014 issue of Natural Resources & Environment, the magazine of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER), entitled: "Nanomaterials and Public Disclosure: Are European Nano Product Registries the Answer?" In the article, Ms. Bergeson and Ms. Mihova...

Thursday, August 21, 2014,8:00 a.m. (PDT) -- 11:00 a.m. (EDT) -- 4:00 p.m. (BST) Compliance & Risks will present a complimentary webinar this Thursday to inform and educate participants about the latest developments in the regulation of nanotechnology and nanomaterials. There is no charge for the webinar, though online registration is required. Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), and an internationally renowned expert on...

“Industry law firm Bergeson & Campbell in an Aug. 18 commentary says that Spero's decision is of ‘particular significance for two reasons. First, it clearly follows prior decisions under which the vast majority of all claims concerning the failure of EPA to consult with [the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS)] under ESA Section 7(a)(2) concerning pesticide registrations will now be time barred. Second, it addresses for the first time difficult jurisdictional issues concerning which...

On June 18, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the most historic rule in its history: the Clean Power Plan. The proposal would, for the first time, impose regulatory limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants and is likely to have significant impacts throughout the economy. Pollution Engineering, a magazine, website, and news and information service for senior executives and engineers involved in their company's pollution control, convened a panel...

The Acta Group (Acta®) is pleased to announce that Emma Louise Jackson CBiol MSB has joined our firm as a regulatory specialist, serving clients in the European Union (EU) and worldwide from our Manchester, UK office. Ms. Jackson is distinguished by more than a decade of experience in testing and regulatory environments, most recently as a regulatory manager at a large commercial laboratory. She graduated with honors from the University of the West of England, Bristol, with a degree in...

Lynn L. Bergeson has been named one of the ten "Most Highly Regarded Individuals" in the world in the field of environmental law by Who's Who Legal in its 2014 compendium. This is the third year Ms. Bergeson has been named in the top ten list of individuals recognized as the most highly regarded by clients and peers, and the tenth year she has been listed in the publication overall. In addition to listing Ms. Bergeson among the top ten, Who's Who Legal 2014...