News & Events

The Acta Group's (Acta®) January 17, 2023, webinar, “Two Years Later: How Has the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability Changed REACH and CLP Regulations?,” is now available for on-demand viewing. During this one-hour webinar Meglena Mihova, Managing Partner, EPPA; Thomas Petry, Ph.D., Managing Director, ToxMinds; Jane S. Vergnes, Ph.D., DABT®, Vice President, Scientific Affairs, Director of Toxicology, Acta; and Lynn L. Bergeson, President, Acta, explore exactly...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are pleased to announce the following hirings and promotions. Catherine M. Croke, DBA, has been named Director of Product Stewardship and Regulatory Affairs. Dr. Croke is a highly experienced professional with more than three decades of successfully developing and executing product stewardship and regulatory compliance programs within global specialty chemicals and materials...

On January 17, 2023, Bloomberg Law quoted speakers, including Jane S. Vergnes, Ph.D., DABT®, Vice President, Scientific Affairs and Director of Toxicology, The Acta Group (Acta®),  from Acta's "Two Years Later: How Has the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability Changed REACH and CLP Regulations?" webinar. The European Union will propose many regulatory changes this year that could substantially increase US companies’ costs and prevent exports of...

On January 18, 2023, Chemical Watch quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding changes expected from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the coming year.  According to attorneys at Bergeson & Campbell, the EPA has pulled senior scientists from across the agency to assist with new chemicals reviews, while continuing to hire new ones. "The onboarding and training of new assessors will take time, but...

On January 17, 2023, Chemical Watch quoted Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, The Acta Group (Acta®) regarding an annoucement by the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (Socma) that U.S. speciality chemicals companies are "strongly considering" introducing new chemicals into the European market due to the consistency of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) review process relative to that of...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and its global consulting affiliate The Acta Group (Acta®) and consortia management affiliate B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM) are pleased to offer you our Forecast 2023, our seasoned team’s collective take on what to expect regarding global industrial, agricultural, and biocidal chemical initiatives in the New Year. We have worked hard to offer our best-informed judgment on the trends and key developments we expect to see in 2023....

Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), was quoted in the January 2023 issue of Finishing and Coating regarding the presence of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in materials used around the electroplating process. “We live in a brave new world indeed,” says Lynn Bergeson, an attorney, and managing partner at Bergeson & Campbell, a firm in Washington D.C. that has been representing businesses in cases...

On December 8, 2022, Chemical Watch quoted Todd J. Stedeford, Ph.D., DABT®, ERT, ATS, Senior Science and Regulatory Advisor, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding a proposed Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) significant new use rule (SNUR) restricting the use of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Todd Stedeford, counsel with Bergeson & Campbell, said the challenges presented by the proposed Snur are "not necessarily" unique to renewable...

On October 14, 2020, the European Commission adopted the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. The Strategy set into motion a series of remarkable actions by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) intended to transform the European Union (EU) into a sustainable and carbon neutral economy while improving protection of its people and the environment. The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and the Classification, Labeling and Packaging (CLP)...

On December 1, 2022, Chemical Watch quoted Dennis R. Deziel, Senior Government Affairs Advisor, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) reduction of its annual pesticide registration maintenance fee to $2,400 for fiscal year 2023, down from $2,660 in the previous year.  Dennis Deziel, senior government affairs advisor at law firm Bergeson and Campbell, told Chemical Watch that Congress is working to "finalise...

On November 30, 2022, Chemical Watch quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding recent suggestions from small business advocates and industry stakeholders for lowering the burden of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) upcoming Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) PFAS reporting rule.  Bergeson & Campbell managing partner, Lynn Bergeson, told Chemical Watch the EPA’s request for input on the Irfa –...

Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Quoted by Bloomberg Law in Article “Fees Companies Must Pay EPA to Oversee Their Chemicals Soar" On November 15, 2022, Bloomberg Law quoted Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposal to significantly increase fees chemical manufacturers would have to pay it to evaluate chemical risks and expand fees paid by companies...

Registration is open for the "Articles under TSCA" webinar on December 14, 2022, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (EST). When the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was enacted in 1976, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) focused its attention on chemical substances and chemical mixtures, while largely exempting the regulation of chemicals in “articles,” generally meaning finished products or manufactured goods. EPA’s more recent announcement of its intent to regulate chemicals in...

The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) October 26, 2022, webinar “Food Safety Issues in the United States” is now available for on-demand viewing at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8196944274166221318. During this one-hour webinar, Thomas J. Dunn, Managing Director, Flexpacknology LLC; Karin F. Baron, Senior Regulatory Consultant, Acta; and Lynn L. Bergeson, President, Acta, review the seven major rules of the...

On November 2, 2022, Chemical Watch quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) confirmation that it does not plan to develop Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) ‘existing chemical exposure limits’ (ECEL) for three of the first ten chemicals evaluated under the amended law: the colourant PV29, the flame retardant HBCD and the solvent NMP.  It could mean the agency "is planning...

On October 27, 2022, Chemical Watch quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) announcement that it would reissue risk determinations for seven of the first ten existing substances evaluated under TSCA using an updated approach.  The EPA issued "a very consequential memorandum" in June 2021 when it said it would reissue risk determinations for seven of the first ten existing...

The International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference in Miami, Florida, brings together lawyers from over 130 jurisdictions and all parts of the legal profession, including lawyers in private practice, in-house counsel, human rights advocates, judges, bar leaders, regulators, and government representatives. Lynn L. Bergeson and Nusrat Hassan co-chair IBA’s Agricultural Law Section (ALS). Hassan and others from the ALS will present the Sustainability Focus session “Sustainable...

On October 5, 2022, Bloomberg Law quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) announcement of a streamlined risk review of new chemicals that can be used for electric vehicle batteries, semiconductors, and renewable energy to determine whether they can be produced in the US.  The new approach is a welcome addition to the mix of new approaches the EPA is using to expedite...

On September 19, 2022, Bloomberg Law quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, Acta, regarding a federal court's dismissal of Lanxess AG‘s petition asking to challenge an EPA order after the agency clarified that Lanxess and certain other chemical manufacturers wouldn’t be required to test chemicals they formerly made. Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell PC,...

October 11, 202212:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (EDT) REGISTER NOW Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance is more than an aspiration, and realizing it in real time is not easy. A well-designed ESG strategy can achieve meaningful improvements in corporate performance and provide real value to stakeholders through specific commitments to corporate responsibility. Any such approach, however, must be measurable, transparent, and accountable....

On August 23, 2022, Chemical Watch quoted the Acta Group (Acta®) and Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) memoradum "EPA Will Discontinue Use of Exposure Modeling Thresholds When Assessing Health and Environmental Risks of New Chemicals," regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) plan to discontinue the use of exposure modeling thresholds when assessing the health and environmental risks of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control...

On August 22, 2022, Bloomberg Law quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding an announcement that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to more closely analyze new chemicals to better understand the extent to which they’ll get into the environment, where people might breathe, touch, or ingest them. Lynn L. Bergeson, managing partner for Bergeson & Campbell PC, which specializes in chemical laws, described EPA’s...

On August 22, 2022, Chemical Watch quoted Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding a recent lawsuit by a firefighting foam producer against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for including the producer in the agency’s initial PFAS TSCA test order, saying it neither manufactures nor processes the surfactant 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide betaine (6:2 FTSB) that is subject to it. Rich Engler, director of...

On August 11, 2022, Chemical Watch quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, Acta, regarding updated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) test order policies that no longer allow companies to stop manufacturing a substance to avoid fulfilling an agency data generation mandate. Lynn Bergeson and Rich Engler from law firm Bergeson & Campbell said the new policy seems to...

The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) August 3, 2022, webinar “TSCA New Approach Methodologies” is now available for on-demand viewing at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8166994675079284995. During this one-hour webinar, panelists shared a comprehensive review of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) use of New Approach Methodologies (NAM) in evaluating chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to announce that Managing Partner Lynn L. Bergeson has been recognized by a number of the leading legal ranking, and peer and client review organizations, notably Chambers and Partners, Best Lawyers, and Who’s Who Legal. Ms. Bergeson was awarded the highest ranking attainable, Band 1, in Chambers USA Guide 2022. This is Ms. Bergeson’s 18th year earning top marks from Chambers USA as one of the best lawyers in America. The...

On July 22, 2022, Bloomberg Law quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding three lawsuits that challenge the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to order chemical manufacturers to generate information on their products. “The Lanxess and Vinyl Institute cases are, to me, a predictable result of a chaotic rollout of EPA Section 4 Test Order efforts,” said Lynn L. Bergeson, managing partner with Bergeson &...

On June 29, 2022, Bloomberg Law quoted Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, The Acta Group (Acta®), discussing the use of chemical consent orders to speed up the new chemical review process. Directly issuing orders would not resolve all the delays new chemical manufacturers experience, said Richard Engler, director of chemistry for Bergeson & Campbell, PC. The EPA’s new chemicals office already has negotiated nearly 200 consent orders for new...

On July 11, 2022, Chemical Week quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding a Supreme Court ruling that limits the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to combat climate change by regulating emissions from existing power plants. Legal experts say the decision could have broader implications for EPA’s ability to regulate chemicals. “The Court seems to have put a name to what some believe is a pretext for...

Wednesday, August 3, 202212:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (EDT)Register Today The 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “to reduce and replace” vertebrate animals to the extent practicable, scientifically justified, and consistent with TSCA policies. EPA is also required to “develop a strategic plan to promote the development and implementation of alternative test methods and strategies to reduce, refine, or...

The latest episode of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) All Things Chemical® podcast, “Balancing Wildlife Protection and Responsible Pesticide Use -- A Conversation with Jake Li,” features a conversation with Jake Li, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pesticide Programs, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Conversation topics include what the Administration is doing to balance wildlife protection...

On May 31, 2022, Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry with The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Chemical Watch regarding a recent proposed Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk management rule that provides insights into the potentially limited extent to which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will defer to other agencies, despite concern from industry that this could lead to duplicative requirements. Richard Engler, director of chemistry...

The Acta Gruop (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health are pleased to present “TSCA Reform - Six Years Later.” This complimentary virtual conference marks the sixth Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Annual Conference, reflecting on the accomplishments and challenges since the implementation of the 2016 Lautenberg Amendments and where...

On May 26, 2022, Bloomberg Law quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding a lawsuit filed by a coalition of companies making a solvent that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) is examining for possible regulation. The coalition is asking a federal court to overturn an agency order seeking data to understand whether the chemical could harm wildlife.  Lynn L. Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson and Campbell...

On May 20, 2022,  Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry with The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Chemical Watch regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposal to ban all ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos, including a two-year deadline for the chlor-alkali industry to stop using asbestos diaphragms in the production of chlorine. The 12 April proposal – the first issued under the amended TSCA in response to a...

The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) May 18, 2022, webinar “Domestic Chemical Regulation and Achieving Circularity” is now available for on-demand viewing at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/2013797750853340422. During this one-hour webinar, Lynn L. Bergeson, President, Acta, moderated a timely and fascinating review of the state of sustainable chemical regulation in the United States with Kate Sellers, Technical Fellow, ERM; Mathy...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) April 20, 2022, webinar “FIFRA Hot Topics” is now available for on-demand viewing at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/7426709986449689102. During this one-hour webinar, Lisa M. Campbell, Partner, B&C, moderated a lively and informative discussion between Edward Messina, Director, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), and James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant, B&C, as...

On April 5, 2022, Chemical Watch quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent policy interpretation on the fluorination of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers. [‌I]n some respects, there has been little surprise at the agency’s view that the generation of certain PFASs during the fluorination of polyolefins – including polyethylene – is an...

On April 1, 2022, an article written by Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), was referenced by Bloomberg Law regarding the White House's efforts to define "sustinable chemistry." The quoted article, "Don’t Ignore Game-Changing EU Environmental Initiatives," discusses noteworthy European Union (EU) chemical regulatory and policy initiatives that are expected to impact U.S. chemical stakeholders.   The White House wants...

On March 31, 2022, Chemical Watch reported on a letter written by the TSCA New Chemicals Coalition (NCC) calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to suspend its plans to revoke a decades-old policy allowing companies to request corrections to the TSCA inventory.  The TSCA New Chemicals Coalition – an ad hoc group represented by the law firm Bergeson & Campbell – said scrapping the process could give rise to a...

On March 25, 2022,  Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry with The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Bloomberg Law regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) plan to no longer process chemical manufacturers’ requests to correct the specific ways chemicals on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) inventory are identified. If the EPA is concerned that companies are using correction requests to add new chemicals to the inventory, it could issue...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are pleased to announce that Karin F. Baron, MSPH, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Society for Chemical Hazard Communication. Ms. Baron, a Senior Regulatory Consultant with B&C and Acta, will serve a two-year term. Ms. Baron has participated as an active member of SCHC for the past 20 years; she is the immediate past Chair of the Professional Development Committee. We are especially pleased that Ms....

On March 14, 2022, Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Chemical Watch regarding conflicting visions for the upcoming asbestos Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk management rule. Lynn Bergeson, managing partner at law firm Bergeson & Campbell, told Chemical Watch the EPA must look at the availability of "technically and economically feasible alternatives that benefit health or the environment" when adopting risk...

On March 14, 2022, The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) was quoted by Chemical Watch on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision to no longer consider personal protective equipment (PPE) use in Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk evaluations.  Law firm Bergeson & Campbell said assuming PPE will not be used, including in cases where required by the Occupational Safety and Health...

On March 1, 2022, Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Chemical Watch responding to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) announcement that it will no longer allow companies to request corrections to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) inventory and instead require them to submit a pre-manufacture notice (PMN) for improperly identified substances.   The decision "is entirely unprincipled and based on a...

On Feburary 28, 2022, Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry with The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Bloomberg Law regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) announcement that, as of April 26, it will no longer process chemical manufacturers’ requests to correct the specific ways chemicals on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) inventory are identified. If the EPA is concerned that companies are using correction requests to add new...

On February 15, 2022, Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, Acta, were quoted by Inside TSCA regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) application of new approach methods (NAMs) and category-based analyses for new-chemical reviews.  An industry attorney says EPA’s application of new approach methods (NAMs) and category-based analyses for new-chemical reviews is...

On January 24, 2022, Chemical Watch quoted Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry with The Acta Group (Acta®), in the article "Proposal on the horizon to update TSCA confidentiality procedures." According to Richard Engler, director of chemistry at industry law firm Bergeson & Campbell and a 17-year veteran of the EPA, this could be aimed at ensuring the agency can get in touch with CBI claim holders.   "One of the challenges EPA faces is...

2022 will bring competing priorities for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for which companies should now prepare. The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to present “What to Expect in Chemicals in 2022,” a webinar offering our best informed judgment as to the trends and key developments B&C’s legal, scientific, and regulatory professionals expect to see in 2022. These include consequential policy shifts reflecting the...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and its consulting affiliate The Acta Group (Acta®) and consortia management affiliate B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM) are pleased to offer you our Forecast 2022. The extraordinary diversity and complexity of global industrial, agricultural, and biocidal chemical initiatives in which our clients engage are reflected in the detailed summary that follows, prepared by the legal, scientific, and regulatory professionals of B&C,...