News & Events

Request Recording and slides from “TSCA Reform Panel Summit: What’s Happening Now, and What’s Next?”  Program informational flyer George Washington University (GWU) Milken Institute School of Public Health, GWU Law School, Environmental Law Institute, Arnold & Porter LLP, and Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. Present:  TSCA Reform Panel Summit: What's Happening Now, and What's Next? Thursday, November 19, 2015, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m....

The December 1, 2015, Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report article “Swedish Agency Proposes Nanomaterials Reporting” included quotes from Lynn L. Bergeson. The proposal is not unexpected, said Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of the law firm Bergeson & Campbell P.C., which has tracked policies for nanomaterials for more than a decade. Sweden's National Action Plan, issued Oct. 8, 2013, recommended the creation of an inventory of products on the market that contain...

A November 30, 2015 story in Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report on the federal approach to regulating bioengineered products and comments submitted by nearly a thousand organizations and individuals on the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology, featured commentary from B&C: [Acta affiliate] Bergeson & Campbell PC, a law firm that represents companies working with emerging technologies, supported the efforts to update the...

Acta President and Product Stewardship Society Board Member Lynn L. Bergeson’s presentation "Legal and Stewardship Issues Associated with EPDs and HPDs" was featured in the society’s Full Circle Blog:  “Regardless of what the law requires, disclosure is fast becoming a commercial imperative, especially for companies wanting to establish themselves as ‘green,’ said Lynn Bergeson, managing partner, Bergeson & Campbell, PC [and President of Acta], during a...

The November 25, 2015, Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report quoted Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., in the article “Diverse Parties Say Federal Biotech Rules Confusing.” Bergeson & Campbell PC, a law firm that represents companies working with emerging technologies, supported the efforts to update the framework but described structural problems that may thwart the White House's intentions. The regulatory infrastructure is ill-suited to address synthetic biology—a...

On November 24, 2015, Inside EPA published the article “TSCA Bill Faces Implementation Hurdles Despite Potential For Senate Vote.”  Jim V. Aidala was quoted discussing a possible implementation timeline if the TSCA Reform bill was passed. Former EPA toxics official Jim Aidala, now with the law firm Bergeson & Campbell, at the ELI event identified some of the time frames on rulemakings, new definitions, and administrative fees as potential "early implementation...

All of us at Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., The Acta Group, and B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C.(collectively B&C®) wish to extend our condolences to the family and friends of George W. Wilson,Principal with CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, and B&C’s Chief Information Officer and Chief TechnologyOfficer of many years. In losing George on November 2, 2015, we have lost one of our own, asGeorge has been an integral member of our team and family for almost 16 years. Not a...

The November 17, 2015, Chemical Watch article “Leading Republican Senators Pledge To ‘Rein In’ US EPA,” included a quote from Lynn L. Bergeson on a possible outcome of Republicans taking control of the Senate. “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 & Campbell, which specialises...

The November 10, 2015, BNA Daily Environment Report article  "Nanomaterials Said to Illustrate Need for TSCA Reform" included comments from Lynn L. Bergeson and the NanoBusiness Commercialization Association (NanoBCA) on the importance of TSCA reform for nanomaterials. […]Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell P.C., said the EPA could have used the authority the House and Senate [TSCA modernization] bills would give the agency to order...

On November 6, 2015, Inside EPA included comments made by Richard E. Engler, Ph. D. at a public meeting held by EPA, USDA, and FDA to  update the federal coordinated framework for how the three agencies regulate biotechnology. […]Industry officials, meanwhile, emphasized biotechnology's growing importance in food production and cautioned that over-regulation will stifle innovation. Officials with Dupont and the law firm Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., which...

The November 2, 2015, BNA Daily Environment Report article, “New Authority Not Expected for Biotech Framework Update,” included comments made by Richard E. Engler, Ph.D. at the “Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products” public meeting held by FDA, USDA, and EPA.     […DuPont global director of corporate regulatory affairs Terry] Medley and Richard Engler, a senior chemist working for Bergeson & Campbell P.C.,...

November 9, 20151:00 - 4:00 p.m. (EST)In-person and via Webcast Although the June 1, 2015, implementation date for hazard classification, label and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) development, and packaging has passed, industry still struggles to comply with the new requirements. Many chemical manufacturers do not understand how to reclassify their hazardous chemicals, develop the appropriate labels and SDSs, or demonstrate "due diligence" to inspectors. Significant confusion remains as...

Lynn L. Bergeson was quoted in the October 15, 2015, BNA Daily Environment Report article “Uncertain Regulatory Path Costs Biotech Companies” about the recent Wilson Center report “The DNA of the U.S. Regulatory System: Are We Getting it Right for Synthetic Biology?”: Getting regulatory approval for products made with synthetic biology techniques is a daunting process, Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell P.C., and co-author of the...

The September 29, 2015, BNA Daily Environment Report article “States Urge Further Changes in TSCA-Reform Bill,” included comments made by Lynn L. Bergeson in a Bergeson & Campbell webinar.  Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell PC, discussed state pre-emption during a Sept. 24 webinar her law firm held on TSCA-reform legislation before the House and Senate. Her firm specializes in laws and regulations addressing chemicals. “State pre-emption...

The October 26, 2015, Inside EPA article, “TSCA Reform Legislation Could Smooth Path For New Biotechnologies,” included comments made by Lynn L. Bergeson at an event hosted by the Wilson Center’s Synthetic Biology Project (synbio). Pending legislation in Congress to reform the 40-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) could make it easier for EPA to assess the potential risks of new technologies, such as synthetic biology, and review requests to...

On October 15, 2015, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Wilson Center) hosted “Leveraging Synthetic Biology’s Promise and Managing Potential Risk,” a panel discussion featuring Lynn L. Bergeson, Sheryl Lindros Dolan, and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., of B&C, and Todd Kuiken, Ph.D., Senior Program Associate, Synthetic Biology Project, Wilson Center. The event coincided with the release of “The DNA of the U.S. Regulatory...

George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health,George Washington University Law School,Environmental Law Institute, andBergeson & Campbell, P.C. Present: TSCA Reform Panel Summit: What's Happening Now, and What's Next? November 19, 201512:00 – 1:30 p.m. (EST)In-person and via Webcast Betting on passage by Congress of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform is anything but a sure thing. While most remain optimistic, with each passing day the window of opportunity...

Panel Discussion to Be Held Wednesday, October 15, 2015, from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (EDT) On October 15, 2015, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Wilson Center) will host "Leveraging Synthetic Biology's Promise and Managing Potential Risk," a panel discussion featuring Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), and Todd Kuiken, Ph.D., Senior Program Associate, Synthetic Biology Project, Wilson...

The July 31, 2015, Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report spoke with James V. Aidala regarding the progress of Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) modernization legislation. James Aidala, senior government affairs consultant with the law firm  Bergeson & Campbell P.C., said reaching an agreement on preemption is key. Aidala was associate assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances from 1993 to 2000, and previously worked...

On September 11, 2017, Michael S. Wenk, M.S., Senior Regulatory Consultant with The Acta Group (Acta®), presented “Chemical Substance Management in Central and South America: Insights into Sustainability, Regulatory and Management Opportunities” at the 17th AOCS Latin American Congress and Exhibition on Fats, Oils, and Lipids in Cancun, Mexico.  In general, Central and South America have no formal chemical inventories in place, no formal pre-notification schemes, and no...

A September 3, 2015, Inside EPA article regarding EPA’s efforts to improve how it reviews companies’ proposals to develop synthetic biology products, and specifically biotech algae, featured quotes from Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.: In a recent memo to clients, the law firm Bergeson & Campbell calls the announcement of the algae guide update "hugely important for the industrial biotechnology communities," adding that "EPA's announcement suggests a broader Agency...

The July 31, 2015, Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report spoke with Lynn L. Bergeson regarding EPA’s plans to develop updated guidance for companies making chemicals with genetically engineered microorganisms under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). “EPA's posting of the synbio algae project is hugely important for the industrial biotechnology and synthetic biology communities,” Lynn  Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson  & Campbell P.C., told...

The June 24, 2015 Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report included quotes from Lynn L. Bergeson in the article “Bill to Update Toxic Substances Control Act Sails Through House by 398-1 Vote.” Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell P.C., told Bloomberg BNA in a June 23 e-mail that the changes in the bill prior to the House vote seemed to reflect the need for consensus more than anything. ‘‘EPA will be challenged to complete risk evaluations in two...

B&C has prepared and serviced this press release based on information publicly available from EPA and ACS. We have no involvement in or knowledge of the award selection process. Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and The Acta Group (Acta®) are deeply committed to supporting the development of greener, more sustainable chemical processes and products, and so we are pleased to help spread the news about a tremendous success story, featuring scientists from...

The June 11, 2015, Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report article “Scientists Sought for New Committee To Advise EPA Office on Risk, Other Issues,” included quotes from Lynn L. Bergeson about the addition of an advisory committee for Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT). “The new advisory committee offers a timely and excellent opportunity to provide input on critically important topics at the core of OPPT's mission,” Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of...

The Acta Group (Acta®) is pleased to offer to ChemCon Asia 2015 attendees a complimentary 30-minute private session with Acta professionals and Acta's South Korean-based affiliate, SHES Chemical Consulting (SHES), to answer questions relating to K-REACH, European Union REACH, TSCA, or other Asian chemical notification/regulation programs, as requested. This service is offered free of charge, provides an excellent opportunity to maximize your attendance at ChemCon, and is designed to...

Lynn L. Bergeson was quoted in “Pick Your Poison,” an article in the Summer 2015 Washington Monthly discussing Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) modernization. In the absence of appropriate federal protections, states have stepped into the breach, promulgating their own rules. Under current TSCA regulations, unless and until the EPA regulates a chemical, states can issue their own limits. Those that have done so include California, New York, Vermont, Washington,...

The May 27, 2015, Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report article “TSCA Modernization Act Introduced in House; Key Republicans, Democrats Back Legislation,” included quotes from the B&C and Acta analysis “TSCA Reform: Detailed Review of Representative Shimkus' Second Discussion Draft of TSCA Reform Legislation.” Time remains to address pragmatic implementation concerns in the House's “almost surgical” TSCA-reform bill as well as the more expansive Senate...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is a proud supporter of the Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (SNO) and we enthusiastically recommend that you consider joining and becoming part of the SNO family during the 2015 membership drive, running now through July 3, 2015. Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of B&C, has served on the Governance Board since SNO's founding in 2012. SNO's purpose is unique. It is the only organization devoted exclusively to...

Lynn L. Bergeson has once again been awarded a Band 1 ranking, the highest attainable, among Washington, D.C. environmental lawyers by Chambers USA Guide 2015. This is Ms. Bergeson's tenth consecutive year of being ranked by Chambers USA as one of the best lawyers in America. In the commentary accompanying her 2015 ranking, Chambers asserts "Lynn Bergeson of Bergeson & Campbell PC has developed an enviable reputation in the chemical regulation area and frequently advises on matters...

The April 30, 2015, Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report discussed correspondence between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its inspector general over the value of pesticide inspections.  The article quoted James V. Aidala. Tempest in a Teapot Jim Aidala, a senior consultant at the firm  Bergeson  and Campbell and the former head of what is now the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, described...

Earlier this month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register its long-awaited Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 8(a) proposed rule concerning reporting and recordkeeping requirements for certain chemical substances when manufactured or processed at the nanoscale (see our memoranda EPA Proposes Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for Nanoscale Materials and EPA Opens Docket for Proposed TSCA...

EPPA, The Acta Group's (Acta®) strategic partner in Brussels, has developed a powerful interactive business tool delivering comprehensive, constantly-updated news, data, documentation, and analysis on European Union (EU) trade negotiations, with a special focus on the ongoing Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations between the EU and the U.S. The EU Trade Negotiation Tracker (Tracker), a joint initiative of EPPA and Deloitte, is available on a subscription...

Lynn L. Bergeson Joins Product Stewardship Society Board of Directors Stewardship 2015, June 1-3, 2015, Salt Lake City, Utah, is the only national conference dedicated to educating and equipping product stewards, industrial hygienists, environmental health and safety (EHS) professionals, and others involved in the day-to-day work of product stewardship. Stewardship 2015 is co-located with AIHce2015, the premiere conference and exposition for occupational and EHS...

The April 7, 2015, Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report story "Innovation Outpacing Regulatory Systems; Modernized TSCA, New Data Said to Help," reported on "21st Century Understanding of Chemicals," a congressional briefing hosted by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Science & the Congress Project.  Lynn L. Bergeson’s comments at the congressional briefing were quoted.   The Environmental Protection Agency has taken eight times longer to approve new...

The Oil Price Information Network (OPIS) spoke with Richard E. Engler, Ph.D. , Senior Policy Advisor for Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. and The Acta Group, regarding the application of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to oils made from algae feedstocks and other non-traditional bio-materials.  The resulting article in the OPIS Ethanol & Biodiesel Newsletter is reprinted below, with permission from OPIS. TSCA Nomenclature May Be...

The March 27, 2015 issue of Inside EPA featured commentary from B&C in an article reporting on the perceived increasing divide on the Supreme Court about the level of deference to give EPA and other agencies in their statutory and regulatory powers, and the use of the justices’ recent statements by plaintiffs and others to argue for stricter judicial oversight of EPA rules. Meanwhile, a March 16 blog post by the law firm Bergeson & Campbell says even the...

In the March 30, 2015 BNA Daily Environment Report Special Report “Questions About Fees, Hiring Staff Among Issues Raised by TSCA Reform Bills,” a reporter spoke with James V. Aidala , Senior Government Consultant with B&C and former Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) (now the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention). To secure money from the fees, the EPA’s chemicals office will...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and its affiliate organizations are investigating the possibility of hosting a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Sustainable Futures workshop on the West Coast in late 2015. As you may know, Sustainable Futures training focuses on a variety of tools, methods, and models that can be used to assess the hazard and potential exposure of chemicals. The intensive, hands-on training provided at Sustainable Futures...

The March 27, 2015 issue of Inside EPA featured commentary from B&C in an article reporting on the perceived increasing divide on the Supreme Court about the level of deference to give EPA and other agencies in their statutory and regulatory powers, and the use of the justices’ recent statements by plaintiffs and others to argue for stricter judicial oversight of EPA rules. Meanwhile, a March 16 blog post by the law firm Bergeson & Campbell says even the...

In a March 26, 2015 story on EPA’s proposed rule regarding reporting requirements for companies that make or process nanoengineered chemicals, “Chemical Manufacturers, Processors To Report Basic Data Under EPA Proposal,” Lynn L. Bergeson was quoted.  In a break from previous data-collection rules, the proposed rule would apply to both chemical manufacturers and chemical processors, Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell P.C. [and President of Acta], told...

In the article "OMB Clears Proposed Data-Collection Rule by EPA After More Than Four Years of Review,"  Daily Environment Report quoted Acta President Lynn L. Bergeson : Bergeson said she has heard that vague terms such as "novel properties" and "trace amounts" have been suggested for inclusion in the proposal as the data collection rule was reviewed by various agencies and federal offices. The use of such unclear terms could pose legal and regulatory challenges for...

A February 18, 2015 Daily News feature on InsideEPA.com included comments made by James V. Aidala as part of a presentation before the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture: In a Feb. 3 presentation to NASDA, Jim Aidala of the Washington, DC, law firm Bergeson & Campbell PC and consulting firm The Acta Group, said the federal strategy will include strict requirements on pesticide labels that must be followed wherever state plans are not in use. But Aidala...

The increasing share of government investment in understanding the environmental, safety and health implications reflects the rise in the commercialization of nanotechnology and the penetration of nano-enhanced products in industry and the marketplace, nanotechnology law and policy specialists told Bloomberg BNA. "As the commercial applications of nanotechnology have increased and as the federal government has become more engaged, agencies have been very clear about the need for targeted,...

Lynn Bergeson, managing partner of Bergeson & Campbell P.C. [and President of Acta], told Bloomberg BNA in an e-mail that the council’s timetables for developing work plans on chemical risk assessments, SNAcs and SNURs are aggressive. Based on a December webinar the council held, interested parties will be involved in a Web conference, face-to-face meetings and consultations beginning this year and throughout 2016, she said....

Thursday, April 2, 20151:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (EDT) This webinar has occurred.  For copies of presentation materials contact chad.howlin@lawbc.com.  On February 9, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published the "Enforcement Guidance for the Hazard Communication Standard's (HCS) June 1, 2015, Effective Date" (Guidance). The Guidance offers important insights into OSHA's HCS enforcement...

The Acta Group (Acta®) is pleased to offer to GlobalChem attendees a complimentary 30-minute private session on March 3 with Acta professionals and Acta's South Korean-based affiliate, SHES Chemical Consulting (SHES), to answer questions relating to K-REACH, European REACH, TSCA, or other Asian chemical notification/regulation programs, as requested. This service is offered free of charge, provides an excellent opportunity to maximize your attendance at GlobalChem,...

March 12, 20152:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (EDT) This webinar has occurred.  For copies of presentation materials contact chad.howlin@lawbc.com.  Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to host a complimentary webinar on recent compliance and enforcement issues regarding the importation of pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2014 revisions to its Notice of Arrival...

The Acta Group (Acta®), a global scientific and business consulting firm offering a full range of support services for the process of obtaining approvals to market industrial chemicals, biocides, and chemical products with offices in Washington, D.C., Beijing, China, and Manchester, UK, has been named to the shortlist of candidates for two Chemicals Northwest 2015 Awards: "Chemical Services Provider Award," and "Business Improvement Partner Award." The Chemicals Northwest Awards are...

A February 4, 2015 story, “More Final Risk Assessments Planned Despite Reduced FY16 EPA Budget Request,” in Bloomberg BNA Daily Environment Report on the Congressional Justification released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on February 2, 2015 addressing the EPA FY2016 budget, reported that EPA intends to publish more chemical risk assessments in fiscal year 2016 than it anticipates issuing in fiscal 2015, that the agency says it can achieve its goal...