News & Events

On September 19, 2018, Kathleen M. Roberts, Senior Regulatory Consultant, for The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), was quoted by Bloomberg Environment in the article “U.S. Chemical Makers’ Sharing of Use Data Stirs Debate.” TSCA and REACH also are different laws in different stages of implementation, which explains some of the divergent responses of U.S. and European manufacturers, said Kathleen M. Roberts, a senior regulatory...

On September 12, 2018, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) presented “Chemical Regulation in the Middle East.” This complimentary webinar was developed in conjunction with the recently released book “Chemical Regulation in the Middle East,” written by Michael S. Wenk, M.S., Senior Regulatory Consultant with B&C and Acta. Mr. Wenk presented an overview of chemical substance regulation in the Middle East with a focus on key chemical control...

On September 4, 2018, Bloomberg Environment quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®) regarding a shortage of 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one. An ongoing global shortage of a chemical used in inks, disinfectants, cleaning, and many other products shows why manufacturers need backup plans to ensure they can meet their commercial obligations, an attorney told Bloomberg Environment. “This may well be an illustration of the new normal,” Lynn Bergeson,...

Complimentary webinar on September 12, 2018, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (EDT) Register online The Acta Group (Acta®) and Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) are pleased to announce the publication of “Chemical Regulation in the Middle East,” written by Michael S. Wenk, M.S. This first of its kind handbook offers an essential guide to the patchwork of chemical regulatory programs and the complex system of permits and licenses that manage chemicals in the...

The Acta Group (Acta®) and Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) are pleased to announce the publication of “Chemical Regulation in the Middle East,” written by Michael S. Wenk, M.S., Senior Regulatory Consultant with Acta and B&C. This first of its kind handbook offers an essential guide to the patchwork of chemical regulatory programs and the complex system of permits and licenses that manage chemicals in the countries of the Middle...

On August 21, 2018, Christopher R. Bryant, Senior Regulatory Specialist, The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Bloomberg Environment regarding the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s recent order for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider multiple parts of a 2015 regulation determining “how coal-fired energy utilities could dispose of coal ash, a byproduct of burning coal to generate electricity.” The decision could...

On August 10, 2018, Inside EPA’s article “Industry Backs EPA Chemical Approval But Seeks Clarity On TSCA Process” included comments from TSCAblog’s August 6, 2018, post “EPA Adds Clarity to Interpretation of “Reasonably Foreseeable Conditions of Use”.”  Industry attorneys are welcoming EPA's recent approval of a new chemical that took a narrow view of the substance's “reasonably foreseen uses” that the agency is required to consider, but are urging...

On August 2, 2018, Kathleen M. Roberts, Vice President, B&C Consortia Management (BCCM), was quoted by Bloomberg Environment in the article “Manufacturers’ Core Questions Remain on EPA’s New Chemical Controls.” Some potential customers won’t purchase any compound regulated by a new use rule, even if the new chemical is better for the environment and safer than alternatives, Kathleen M. Roberts, vice president of Bergeson & Campbell Consortia...

On July 31, 2018, Christopher R. Bryant, Senior Regulatory Specialist, The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Bloomberg Environment regarding states that have delayed adoption of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waste regulations by more than three decades.  Delays can affect companies if regulations provide relief in the form of an exemption to a rule or cost savings, Christopher Bryant, senior regulatory consultant for Bergeson & Campbell PC in...

On July 24, 2018, Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®) was featured on the radio show Marketplace from American Public Media during a segment on the degreaser Trichloroethylene (TCE) and its status under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA).  Reporter Scott Tong visited the site of a former ViewMaster toy plant outside of Portland, Oregon where TCE has been linked to cancer in some former employees. Tong reported that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)...

On July 25, 2018, Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Bloomberg Environment regarding late notices of containment (NoC) filed as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brings the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) inventory up to date in the article “EPA OK’d Apparent Violations of Chemicals Law.” Sometimes the agency fails to process a commencement notice correctly, said Richard E. Engler, director of...

Washington D.C.:  Representatives of the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) and representatives of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) met with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff to discuss the two groups’ recently-issued white paper, “Proposal for a Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory Representation and Equivalency Determinations for Renewable and Sustainable Bio-based Chemicals.”  BRAG and BIO members provided...

On July 12, 2018, Bloomberg Environment included comments from James V. Aidala, Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs with The Acta Group (Acta®) regarding difficulties that the Trump administration may face in nominating a head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)  chemicals and pesticides office after a difficult confirmation process caused the former nominee, Michael Dourson, to withdraw. Beck could be a candidate for the assistant...

On July 12, 2018, Bloomberg Environment quoted James V. Aidala, Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs with The Acta Group (Acta®) regarding Acting Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Andrew Wheeler’s experience with the chemical regulatory landscape.  The EPA’s new acting administrator is more familiar than past agency heads were with the nation’s primary chemicals statute, giving him insight into tensions arising in...

On June 25, 2018, Bloomberg Environment included quotes from The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®)’s “TSCA at 2: An Update on Implementation and Hot Topics” webinar in the article “Chemical Companies Get Flexibility in Data Submissions, May Cut Costs.” The EPA will start asking chemical manufacturers to provide certain types of health, ecological, or other data for new chemicals instead of directing them to conduct specific...

On June 25, 2018, Bloomberg Environment included quotes from The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®)’s “TSCA at 2: An Update on Implementation and Hot Topics” webinar in the article “New Chemical Reviews, Regulations Said to Impede Commerce.” The growing number of rules that are accompanying new chemicals is causing marketplace problems, said Michael Gould, environmental, health, and safety committee chairman with RadTech...

On June 22, 2018, Brian Xu, M.D., Ph.D., DABT®, Toxicologist with The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Nature regarding proposed Chinese tariffs on U.S. chemicals and scientific equipment. Brian Xu, a toxicologist for the scientific consulting firm ACTA in Washington DC, which works with businesses in mainland China, agrees that China’s proposal to place tariffs on US chemicals and scientific equipment is unlikely to have a major effect on Chinese research. He notes...

The Acta® Group EU, Ltd (Acta® EU) seeks an entry level Regulatory Affairs professional to join our office in Manchester, United Kingdom.  The ideal candidate will be educated in the biological sciences, chemistry, and/or toxicology fields. Regulatory Assistant -- Entry Level The ideal candidate should have the following qualifications: Educated to a first degree level in biological sciences, chemistry, toxicology, or other relevant degree...

On June 18, 2018, Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, Acta, were quoted in the Bloomberg Environment article “Tidal Wave of Toxics Deadlines Awaits EPA, Industries in 2019.” The EPA needs more staff and money to manage its oversight of both existing and new chemicals, said Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell, PC in Washington. The agency’s chemicals office “will be...

The Acta Group (Acta®) affilate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to announce the publication of The Year in Review 2017: Environment, Energy, and Resources Law by the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER). The Year in Review 2017 provides an annual summary of developments in environmental, energy, and resources law. B&C Managing Partner Lynn L. Bergeson and...

On June 13, 2018, Inside EPA included comments from the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) New Chemicals Coalition (NCC) regarding the omission of language in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed fee rule about how it will refund companies whose new chemical use applications are not reviewed by the statutory deadline. The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) provides legal counsel to the TSCA NCC. Membership...

On June 13, 2018, Bloomberg Environment quoted Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry at The Acta Group (Acta®) regarding an increase in time required for chemical makers to fill out paperwork under the new Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  The Environmental Protection Agency acknowledged the extra work companies are doing through an “emergency” Paperwork Reduction Act request it submitted to the White House Office of Management and...

Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry at The Acta Group (Acta®) and Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), will present “New TSCA and Green Chemistry Innovation” in the “Real-World Sustainability Challenges: Incentives and Barriers to the Use of Green Chemistry in Products” session on June 18, 2018, at the 22nd Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference (GC&E) hosted by the American Chemical Society’s...

On July 4, 2018, Christopher R. Bryant, Senior Regulatory Specialist, The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Bloomberg Environment regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new electronic tracking system for hazardous waste shipments called e-Manifest. “There is a ton of confusion and trepidation about how this is all going to work,” Christopher Bryant, senior regulatory consultant for Bergeson & Campbell PC in Washington, told Bloomberg...

The Acta Group (Acta®) and Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) are pleased to announce that Richard E. Engler, Ph.D. has been named Director of Chemistry for our firms. Dr. Engler joined Acta and B&C as Senior Chemist in January 2015 after nearly two decades at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) and has offered his extensive understanding of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and other...

Monday, June 25, 201811:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (EDT)Register Today Since enactment on June 22, 2016, of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has implemented a muscular regulatory program expressing Congress’ intent for a new and improved Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  The new TSCA framework required significant work and fundamental shifts in regulatory...

On June 4, 2018, Charles M. Auer, Senior Regulatory and Policy Advisor with The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted in the Inside EPA article “Eying 2018 Deadline, EPA Taps New Division Heads For Reorganized OPPT.” The new reorganization plan is winning approval from former officials. Charles Auer, former director of OPPT and now with the law firm of Bergeson & Campbell, wrote in a recent blog post that dividing the offices to focus on new and existing chemicals...

On May 31, 2018, Christopher R. Bryant, Senior Regulatory Specialist, The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted in the Bloomberg Environment article “EPA Backs Recycling Formerly ‘Hazardous’ Materials, But States Get Final Say.” This quote was also featured as the “Quote of the Day” in Bloomberg Environment’s daily First Move email. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new definition of solid waste “allows more material—like...

On May 29, 2018, Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Bloomberg Environment regarding a proposed rule that would require scientific data be sufficiently available to the public so that interested parties could understand how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached its conclusions. “[D]ecisions the EPA makes about whether to allow new chemicals into commerce would largely be unaffected, Richard Engler, a...

On May 23, 2018, Bloomberg Environment quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®) regarding Erik Baptist, senior deputy general counsel, joining EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) as a deputy assistant administrator and senior counsel.  Other regulatory offices within the EPA have attorneys to help them, Lynn Bergeson, managing partner with the Washington, D.C., office of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., told Bloomberg...

Any company that plans to submit or has pending a new chemical notification under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) needs to join the TSCA New Chemicals Coalition (TSCA NCC) -- the only coalition focused principally on TSCA Section 5 issues. The TSCA NCC has been relentlessly engaging with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Congress on identifying and addressing real-world issues arising out of EPA’s...

On May 7, 2018, James V. Aidala, Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs with The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Inside EPA regarding U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt’s plan to require EPA to only use publicly available material to justify regulatory decisions. Others raise concerns over the document's introduction of a host of new terms, many of which are undefined. For example, the industry law firm Bergeson and...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are pleased to announce that on May 8, 2018, Lisa M. Campbell, Partner, will moderate the “FIFRA Enforcement & Compliance” panel at the New Developments in Pesticide Law and Policy conference.  This conference is hosted by the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy and Resources (ABA SEER) and CropLife America, and will cover crop protection issues in the United States and...

On May 3, 2018, text from the March 2018 Global Business Briefing “New TSCA inspires new litigation” written by Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted in the Chemical Watch article “NRDC files opening brief in TSCA new chemicals litigation.” Lynn Bergeson, managing partner at law firm Bergeson & Campbell, wrote in Chemical Watch's Global Business Briefing earlier this year that NRDC's legal challenge...

On May 3, 2018, Inside EPA quoted The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell's (B&C®) memorandum “EPA Releases Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science Proposed Rule” in the article “Critics Doubt EPA Plan To Redact Confidential Data In Transparency Rule.” “For pesticide registrants, the rule poses significant potential issues,” the industry law firm Bergeson & Campbell said in an April 30 analysis, citing, as an...

On May 2, 2018, Bloomberg Environment quoted Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), regarding a brief filed by NRDC challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) New Chemicals Framework document. The NRDC’s brief did a good job buttressing its argument that the EPA’s framework warranted public notice and comment, Lynn L. Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., said. “Not every such procedural challenge is a...

Washington D.C. May 1, 2018:  Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., Managing Partner and The Acta Group President Lynn L. Bergeson has been named one of the “Top 50:  2018 Women Super Lawyers” by Thompson Reuters’ Super Lawyers Washington, D.C. edition.  Each year, Super Lawyers recognizes top lawyers via a multiphase selection process involving peer nomination, independent research, and peer evaluation.  The lawyers who receive the highest point totals...

On May 1, 2018, James V. Aidala, Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs with The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Bloomberg Environment regarding an open data policy proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Jim Aidala, the former head of the EPA’s chemicals office, said the agency can avoid some of these potential pitfalls if it does a thorough job of laying out its reasoning when it issues the final version of this science policy...

On April 27, 2018, James V. Aidala, Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs with The Acta Group (Acta®) and Richard E. Engler, Senior Chemist with Acta, were quoted in the Bloomberg Environment article “Pesticide Makers Back Public-Data Plan—But Not for Trade Secrets.” If the agency sticks with the $100 million threshold under the executive order, then the EPA decisions on whether new chemicals can enter commerce would largely be unaffected, as most...

In the Spring 2018 issue of the American Bar Association (ABA) Natural Resources & Environment (NR&E) Magazine, Joanne L. Dunec reviewed New TSCA: A Guide to the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act and Its Implementation for the Literary Resources section. Dunec wrote, “[t]he balance of the book, written by 11 authors (including the editors), illuminates and analyzes new TSCA in greater detail. The final chapter provides the legislative history of...

On April 12, 2018, Bloomberg Environment quoted James V. Aidala, Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs with The Acta Group (Acta®) regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) possible decision to extend registration for dicamba herbicide formulations. “Passing another time-limited registration would give them a heck of a lot of leverage,” said James Aidala, a senior government affairs consultant at Bergeson & Campbell, PC, a...

On April 10, 2018, Inside EPA included quotes from The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and Bloomberg BNA’s FIFRA Hot Topics webinar in the article “Former EPA official 'gloomy' on ESA pesticide deal.” A former senior EPA pesticide official is pessimistic that federal officials will be able to overhaul their process for assessing pesticides' risks under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), calling prospects...

On April 9, 2018, Inside EPA quoted The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) TSCAblog article “EPA Announces OPPT Management Changes” regarding management changes made to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT). EPA has announced a significant re-shuffling of leaders within its toxics office, which is being reorganized just as officials are working to establish a new...

On April 6, 2018, Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report regarding recently announced senior staff job changes at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The staff moves are taking place before the office's anticipated reorganization, Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of the Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., told Bloomberg Environment.  The agency has not released details of the reorganization nor...

On April 3, 2018, Lynn L. Bergeson, President, The Acta Group (Acta®), and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Senior Chemist with Acta, were quoted by the Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report in the article “EPA Aims for Predictable Chemical Reviews, Director Says.” Richard Engler—a senior chemist with Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.—and Lynn L. Bergeson, managing partner of that same law firm, described some specific types of problems they would like the agency to...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is seeking a bookkeeper to join our law firm and affiliated consulting firm The Acta Group and consortia management firm B&C Consortia Management with offices in the U.S. and UK.  This position will be based in our Washington, D.C. location.  Candidate will be responsible for daily activities of firm financial operations, including client billing, accounts receivable, and accounts payable.  Applicants must have prior law firm or...

On March 19, 2018, James V. Aidala, Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs with The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted in the Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report article “New Science Panel May Bolster EPA's Chemical Policy Defense.” If the decision based on [the advisory committee’s] advice is challenged in court, the imprimatur of the outside advisers can offer evidence that the agency used a scientifically credible approach, Jim Aidala, senior...

On February 22, 2018, Zameer Qureshi, Legal Consultant to The Acta Group EU, Ltd (Acta EU), presented “The European REACH Regulation – Basic Concepts and Key Issues for NACD Members” at a National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) webinar.  This presentation covered an overview of the European Union’s (EU) chemical management regulation program, Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), including: REACH Definitions REACH Exemptions...

On February 21, 2018, the Inside EPA article, “Beck Suggests Trump Hiring Cap Undermines EPA's TSCA Implementation,” included comments from James V. Aidala, Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs with The Acta Group (Acta®) and Nancy B. Beck, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., Deputy Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), made at the “Chemical Regulation in 2018: A Sneak...

On February 9, 2018, Lynn L. Bergeson, President of The Acta Group (Acta®), was quoted by the Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report regarding a proposed rule that would help defray the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) costs of chemical product reviews. The article also included comments by Nancy Beck, deputy assistant administrator for chemical safety and pollution prevention at EPA, that were made during the B&C/Bloomberg BNA webinar “Chemical...