News & Events

RCRA Improvement Rules: An Update and Discussion Wednesday, October 16, 2019 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (EDT) Register Today Overview: On November 28, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the final “Generator Improvements Rule” under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). 81 Fed. Reg. 85732. The potential scope of the revised regulatory program is immense -- the changes will...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are pleased to announce the addition of five accomplished, experienced professionals to our firms. Heather J. Blankinship has joined our firms as a Senior Regulatory Consultant. Ms. Blankinship works with clients to develop strategic, comprehensive, cost-effective approaches to global regulatory compliance, product risk assessment, and sustainability programs. Ms. Blankinship’s product category expertise...

COLUMBUS, OHIO - The Product Stewardship Society (PSS) Board of Directors inducted Lynn L. Bergeson as President during its annual board meeting preceding the Product Stewardship conference being held in Columbus, Ohio, September 10 - 12, 2019.  Ms. Bergeson, Managing Partner of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), will serve as President through 2021. Ms. Bergeson has served on the PSS Board of Directors since 2015. PSS is an affiliate of the American Industrial Hygiene...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to announce that Managing Partner Lynn L. Bergeson has been awarded the highest ranking attainable, Band 1, in Chambers USA Guide 2019. This is Ms. Bergeson’s 14th year of being ranked by Chambers USA as one of the best lawyers in America. The commentary accompanying her 2019 Chambers ranking speaks of Ms. Bergeson’s “stellar reputation in the environment space,”and quotes clients as saying: “If you need...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and its consulting affiliate, The Acta Group, L.L.C. (Acta®), are seeking a Quality Assurance (QA) Specialist to join our growing team of regulatory consultants, scientists, and policy experts.  The QA Specialist will monitor and perform quality assurance for nonclinical Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP studies and laboratories, will assess studies and resulting scientific data for compliance with applicable guidelines and regulations,...

Available On Demand Overview: Cosmetic formulations often contain preservatives to protect the product’s integrity and extend its shelf life.  The regulatory requirements that product manufacturers must adhere to when incorporating preservatives into their products and what claims are permissible on their product labels is far from harmonized globally, and the path is not getting easier.  This webinar will provide an overview of cosmetic ingredient...

Preserving Cosmetics on a Global Scale: It is Harder than You Think Wednesday, May 22, 2019 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (EDT) Register Today Overview: Cosmetic formulations often contain preservatives to protect the product’s integrity and extend its shelf life. The regulatory requirements that product manufacturers must adhere to when incorporating preservatives into their products and what claims are permissible...

On April 26, 2019, Bloomberg Environment quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding a U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruling that a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule failed to require chemical manufacturers to sufficiently prove that they have protected their chemical’s secret identity from discovery through reverse engineering. The requirement for companies to substantiate their claims that they...

On April 23, 2019, Bloomberg Environment featured comments by Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), and Kathleen M. Roberts, Vice President of B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM), in the article “EPA Proposal May Not Streamline Chemical Reporting After All.” Attorneys and other industry consultants told Bloomberg Environment the agency’s proposal would be a mixed bag in terms of saved time. […] Companies would have to spend time...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are pleased to announce the publication of “Benchmarking the Current Codex Alimentarius International Estimated Short-Term Intake Equations and the Proposed New Equations,” co-authored by Jason E. Johnston, M.S., Senior Scientist with B&C and Acta. The article was published by the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry and can be accessed...

Wednesday, April 24, 20191:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (EDT)Register Today Throughout the first few months of 2019, Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) issues have been dynamic, complicated, and controversial with regard to both individual pesticides (example: chlorpyrifos), as well as continued debates about larger state, national, and international policies.  March in particular roared in like a lion -- the “Pesticide Registration Improvement Extension...

On March 20, 2019, Bloomberg Environment spoke with Kathleen M. Roberts, Senior Regulatory Consultant, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and vice president of B&C® Consortia Management LLC (BC-CM), for the article “Industry Advisers Back EPA Strategy on Chemical Vetting.” Looking at several chemicals that serve a similar commercial function can help industry provide the EPA with what it needs to sort the 40 chemicals into the two categories […] For...

On March 11, 2019, the HazMat Management magazine republished The Acta Group's (Acta®) article “PHMSA Study Will Assess Aligning U.S. and International Regulations for Aerosol Containers.” HazMat Management magazine has covered Canadian environmental health and safety compliance issues for over 17 years. The full article on the HazMat Management page is now available online....

On March 11, 2019, Bloomberg Environment featured comments by James V. Aidala, Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs with The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding a plan for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to cut two months off the time it takes to review pesticide registrations. One chemical-industry consultant says the EPA’s ability to shave 60 days from its reviews depends on the kind of registration. “You’re not going to cut two months from...

On March 1, 2019, Inside EPA quoted Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) Forecast for U.S. Federal and International Chemical Regulatory Policy 2019 regarding ongoing lawsuits that could foreshadow future challenges to the CBI proposal. The law firm Bergeson & Campbell says in its “Forecast 2019” publication that environmentalists' ongoing lawsuit on EPA's “Inventory notification rule … may presage a challenge to the CBI review rule.” The...

On February 28, 2019, Bloomberg Environment featured comments by Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, Acta, in the article “Chemical Law’s Worker Safeguards Ditched by EPA, Advocates Say.” Safety data sheets impose obligations on employers, said Richard E. Engler, director of chemistry for the Bergeson & Campbell PC law firm. The firm manages the TSCA New Chemicals Coalition in which...

On February 22, 2019, Inside EPA featured comments by Christopher R. Bryant, Senior Regulatory Consultant, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recently released pharmaceutical waste rule. A former EPA waste official believes the rule will almost certainly draw litigation. “I would bet my one-eyed, drunken dog on it,” says Chris Bryant, a former agency waste official who is now a senior regulatory...

On February 20, 2019, Inside EPA featured comments by James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant with Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), in the article “New EPA Toxics Chief Seeks To Quell Critics As Agency Implements TSCA.” Jim Aidala, a former EPA toxics chief in the Clinton administration who is now with Bergeson & Campbell, said that Dunn’s confirmation will help the agency navigate its heavy workload in implementing the new law, even as...

On February 15, 2019, Inside EPA featured comments by Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), regarding a suit brought against the Trump EPA's policy barring any recipient of an EPA grant from serving on one of its many scientific advisory committees McFadden's ruling is not a total victory for EPA, since the agency had argued for dismissal on standing, ripeness and merits grounds. While McFadden dismissed the suit on the merits, he...

On February 5, 2019, Inside EPA quoted Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) TSCAblogTM post “Attorneys General Petition EPA to Issue Asbestos Reporting Rule” regarding a state petition for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue an asbestos reporting rule under TSCA Section 8(a). The law firm Bergeson & Campbell writes in a Feb. 1 post on its TSCAblog that the states' “petition cites EPA’s denial” of the advocates'...

On January 31, 2019, Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), and President-Elect of the Product Stewardship Society (PSS) was featured in PSS’s blog post about the closing session of Product Stewardship 2018. The closing session of Product Stewardship 2018 focused on the two forces that often drive the industry: government regulation and customer demand. Product Stewardship Society President-Elect Lynn Bergeson, Managing Partner of Bergeson &...

On January 31, 2019, Inside EPA quoted Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) Forecast 2019 regarding proposed changes to the Consumer Data Reporting (CDR) rule. “While these proposed changes may be helpful to the reporting community, it is imperative that EPA move quickly with its proposals so stakeholders are fully educated well before the next reporting cycle in 2020,” the law firm Bergeson & Campbell PC, which represents chemical sector clients...

On January 29, 2019, Inside EPA quoted Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), in the article “EPA Faces New Backlog Of Chemical Applications After Shutdown Ends.” A draft framework the agency crafted in 2017 to speed PMN reviews drew widespread criticisms from environmentalists and others, forcing Wheeler to pledge late last year that the agency would reconsider the most recent draft review plan. But the shutdown...

On January 28, 2019, Bloomberg Environment quoted Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) resuming work after the government shutdown. Employees in the Environmental Protection Agency’s chemicals office may be able to begin their normal tasks reviewing new and evaluating the risks of existing ones by the end of this week, said Richard Engler, director of...

On January 25, 2019, Bloomberg Environment spoke with Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), for the article “New York Pushes Back Cleaning Products’ Disclosure Deadline.” Cleaning product manufacturers and their suppliers are hard put to comply with both New York’s and California’s ingredient disclosure requirements because they are dissimilar, said Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson and Campbell PC, a...

On January 24, 2019, Chemical Watch spoke with Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), for the article “Shutdown-related delays could compromise TSCA statutory deadlines.” Lynn Bergeson, managing partner at Bergeson & Campbell, said that the shutdown is stretching the limits of what the EPA is capable of completing in terms of TSCA implementation. "I am concerned simply because we all live in the real world,...

On January 18, 2019, Inside EPA extensively quoted Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) Forecast 2019 in the article “EPA Shutdown Stymies Looming TSCA Assessment, Rule Deadlines.” Observers are also waiting for EPA to publish its updated TSCA inventory, the list of all existing chemicals, after receiving submissions from industry on which chemicals are deemed active -- manufactured, processed or imported within the past decade -- or inactive. Its...

On January 18, 2019, Inside EPA spoke with Kathleen M. Roberts, Senior Regulatory Consultant, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), for the article “EPA's Fee Rule Takes Effect Without Suit, A First For TSCA Framework.” Kathleen Roberts, a senior regulatory consultant at the law firm Bergeson & Campbell, suggested that the clarity of the statute regarding fees dissuaded critics from challenging EPA's final rule. “I believe that there were no challenges...

On January 18, 2019, Bloomberg Environment featured comments by James V. Aidala, Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs with The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding delayed pesticide product approvals. The EPA also processes thousands of applications for so-called “me-too” chemicals—pesticides that are nearly identical to other products already on the market. “EPA is normally able to process those applications pretty quickly,” said Jim Aidala, a...

On January 16, 2019, Chemical Watch spoke with Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), for the article “Shutdown spells further delays to TSCA new chemicals reviews.” "Until we have information from the agency, we are more or less assuming that [new chemical review processes] are all suspended, Lynn Bergeson, managing partner at Bergeson & Campbell, told Chemical Watch. And the fear for many is that the shutdown will exacerbate an already overtaxed new...

On January 11, 2019, Bloomberg Environment spoke with Kathleen M. Roberts, Senior Regulatory Consultant, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), for the article “Chemical Makers’ Data Duties Delayed by Shutdown.” “Assuming the proposed changes are not major, the delay in releasing the proposed [Chemical Data Reporting] rule is an inconvenience rather than a block impeding chemical manufacturers ability to do business,” said Kathleen M. Roberts, a vice...

On January 7, 2019, Inside EPA featured comments by James V. Aidala, Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs with The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding new efforts to reauthorize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) program. EPA's authority to collect fees lapsed Dec. 21 when lawmakers failed to approve legislation funding EPA and other agencies, depriving them of a legislative vehicle to which they could...

On January 7, 2019, Bloomberg Environment quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®) and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, Acta, regarding U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s pledge to make public more information about chemical safety decisions. Richard Engler, director of chemistry at Bergeson & Campbell PC, described Wheeler’s promises as reflecting “EPA’s commitment to...

On December 21, 2018, Bloomberg Environment featured comments by Christopher R. Bryant, Senior Regulatory Specialist, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to update coal ash disposal requirements. The changes are consistent with the agency’s preference for states to take the lead on setting their own disposal requirements, Christopher Bryant, senior regulatory consultant for Bergeson & Campbell PC in Washington,...

On December 20, 2018, Bloomberg Environment spoke with Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), for the article “‘Calamitous’ Harm Possible for EPA Chemical Program in Shutdown.” Shutting the government down could have particularly severe effects on the EPA’s oversight of chemicals in commerce and further delay the entry of new chemicals onto the market, two attorneys specializing in chemical policy told Bloomberg Environment. “If a shutdown were...

On December 19, 2018, Bloomberg Environment spoke with Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), for the article “2019 Outlook: ‘Most Active Year Yet’ Looms on EPA Chemical Rules.” The EPA didn’t reply to a question about how many people are working in its chemicals office but said it was allowed to hire up to 340 in fiscal year 2018, an increase from 311 in the previous year. The agency said it couldn’t comment on how many people it will have in...

On November 28, 2018, Inside EPA included information on Lek Kadeli’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) appointment first posted in Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) TSCAblogTM post “EPA Announces New Acting Deputy AA at OCSPP.” Lek Kadeli, a top former EPA career official in the research office (ORD), is joining the management team for EPA's toxics office, bolstering the office as it ramps up to implement the revised Toxic Substances Control...

On November 26, 2018, Inside EPA included information from Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) memorandum “EPA Publishes First Draft TSCA Chemical Risk Evaluation” in the article “EPA's PV29 Assessment Likely to Test Reformed TSCA's Data Standards.” In a Nov. 16 memo on the draft's release, the law firm Bergeson and Campbell suggests that there may be little reason to challenge the agency's finding though it leaves the door open to questioning the...

On November 14, 2018, Inside EPA spoke with Christopher R. Bryant, Senior Regulatory Specialist, The Acta Group (Acta®), for the article “EPA Eases RCRA For Airbag Removals But Keeps Hazardous Waste Status.” [W]hile dealers and others removing the airbags will be conditionally exempt under the new rule, others further down the waste stream will not, says Chris Bryant, a former EPA waste official who is now a senior regulatory consultant with Bergeson and...

On November 13, 2018, Charles M. Auer, Senior Regulatory and Policy Advisor, The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Inside EPA regarding Congress’ plan to oversee the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) implementation of the revised Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). “There may be some bipartisan oversight on nuts and bolts questions. But my guess is that each side will generally focus questions on 'their' issues and concerns,” says Charles Auer, a...

On November 12, 2018, Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry for The Acta Group (Acta®), was featured on National Public Radio’s (NPR) morning news program “Morning Edition” during a segment on the chemical methylene chloride.  Reporter Rebecca Hersher asked Dr. Engler, a 17-year veteran of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) and leader of EPA's Green Chemistry Program, about EPA’s review of methylene chloride and...

On November 6, 2018, Bloomberg Environment quoted Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding new chemical rules. Before 2016, the EPA took regulatory action on 10-15 percent of new chemicals, clearing the way for 85-90 percent of new compounds to proceed without restrictions, Richard Engler, Bergeson and Campbell PC’s director of chemistry, said. But since the amendments to the nation’s primary chemicals law passed in June...

On November 5, 2018, Bloomberg Environment quoted Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, The Acta Group (Acta®), in the article “More Sales, Broader Safeguards May Follow Chemical Rule Deluge.” The rules broaden sales opportunities for both the companies that designed these chemicals and ones that want to make or use them, Richard Engler, who was a chemist at the Environmental Protection Agency for 17 years, told Bloomberg Environment. […] The EPA’s...

Washington, D.C. (November 1, 2018):  Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is launching a podcast today.  It is called All Things Chemical™ and it will engage listeners in intelligent, insightful conversation about everything related to industrial, pesticidal, and specialty chemicals and the law and business issues surrounding chemicals. B&C’s talented team of lawyers, scientists, and consultants will keep listeners abreast of the changing world of both...

On October 17, 2018, The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) presented a complimentary webinar regarding pending implementation dates of key U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules. “Keeping up with FSMA – Rules, Obligations, and Key Compliance Dates” was presented by Karin F. Baron, MSPH, Senior Regulatory Consultant, B&C, Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C, and Scott J. Burya,...

On October 18, 2018, Inside EPA quoted Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding Acta affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.'s (B&C®) memorandum “EPA Proposes SNURs that Break New Ground under Amended TSCA.” Industry attorneys are welcoming the agency's approach, suggesting it sets a precedent for future agency action. “The proposed SNUR is interesting, important, and controversial, as this is the first time under...

On October 16, 2018, Inside EPA quoted The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell P.C.'s (B&C®) memorandum “EPA Issues Final TSCA Fees Rule” in the article “EPA finalizes TSCA fees rule but legal challenges possible.” A Sept. 28 memo from the law firm Bergeson & Campbell notes that “the final rule will apply to all submissions that are received starting October 1, 2018. EPA stated that it will invoice affected companies within...

Now more than ever, chemical industry stakeholders with shared business and advocacy interests are urged to consider collaborating on regulatory, testing, and related advocacy opportunities. Two years post-passage of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act means the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is well underway with implementation of the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).    Industry groups that are already established and...

On October 8, 2018, Lynn L. Bergeson, President, (The Acta Group®), moderated “Sustainable Investment in Agriculture: Improving Agricultural Land Investment Contracts and the Contracting Process” at the legal profession’s largest international event, the International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference held this year in Rome, Italy. Ms. Bergeson is Vice Chairman of IBA’s Agricultural Law Committee. Panelists Katherine Cook, Matrix Chambers; Marsha A Echols, Howard...

On September 29, 2018, Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), and President-Elect of the Product Stewardship Society (PSS) moderated the closing session, “Drivers of Product Stewardship: The Role of Regulations, Private Governance, and Managing,” at the 2018 Product Stewardship Conference in Washington D.C. This conference addressed global safety, environmental, and regulatory challenges by bringing together prominent professionals to present and discuss global emerging...