August 25, 2026

NGOs Challenge EPA Approval of Two New Chemicals for Use in the Manufacture of Semiconductors

On August 14, 2026, Earthjustice announced that two non-governmental organizations (NGO) filed suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval of two new chemicals for use in the manufacturing of semiconductors. CHIPS Communities United and Sierra Club seek review of two Consent Orders issued under Section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) authorizing the manufacture, processing, distribution in commerce,...
August 25, 2026

Navigating a New UK REACH Registration for an Existing Substance Without a Lead Registrant

Following the United Kingdom’s (UK) exit from the European Union (EU), any legal entity based in Great Britain (GB) intending to manufacture or import a substance into England, Scotland, and/or Wales at or above one tonne per year is required to submit a registration to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for that substance. This process is typically straightforward. What should a company do, however, when a substance is identified as a New Registration of an Existing Substance (NRES) and no...
August 24, 2026

Canada’s Proposed Food Packaging Framework Would Require Notification of FCMs

Anticipating an increase in the use of recycled plastics, Health Canada has begun a public consultation on a high-level overview of a proposed food packaging framework. Under Canada’s Food and Drug Regulations (FDR), Health Canada currently conducts a premarket assessment of a food contact material (FCM) only when a request is voluntarily submitted. According to Health Canada’s consultation document, this “may limit Health Canada’s ability to proactively identify and respond to emerging...
August 24, 2026

“Pesticides under FIFRA: What’s Happening Now and What’s Next,” September 22, 2026, 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. (EDT), via webinar

The Acta Group (Acta®) affliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to present “Pesticides under FIFRA: What’s Happening Now and What’s Next” to update stakeholders on significant recent regulatory, legal, and scientific developments affecting pesticide and biocide market access in the United States, and to provide a look ahead to potential impacts of the midterm elections. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) continues to...
August 24, 2026

“The Food Quality Protection Act at 30: How It Happened, Why It Still Matters,” September 17, 2026, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EDT), via webinar

For those interested in pesticide issues, August 3, 2026, marked an important milestone: the 30th Anniversary of enactment of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) in 1996. This groundbreaking legislation strengthened our pesticide laws, creating new standards to regulate pesticide residues in food to protect with a “reasonable certainty of no harm” and additional requirements to protect infants and children, and were a surprise coming out of the first term with Speaker of the House Newt...
August 24, 2026

Environmental Regulation in Practice 2026: New Challenges and Controversies, September 2, 2026, via webinar

The Practising Law Institute presents Environmental Regulation in Practice 2026, examining how changes in federal and state authority, litigation trends, and global regulatory pressures are affecting compliance, transactions, permitting, and risk management. Lynn L. Bergeson will present “U.S. Withdrawal from International Environmental Frameworks and Global Spillover Effects.”...
August 24, 2026

IBA 2026, October 4-9, 2026, Copenhagen, Denmark

The Agriculture and Food Section (AFS) is pleased to be leading two sessions at IBA 2026, the International Bar Association’s (IBA) annual conference in Copenhagen, October 4-9, 2026. AFS will present Barriers on the plate: the impact of trade restrictions on global food security on Tuesday, October 6 (9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. CEST) and Foreign investment restrictions on controlling agricultural land on Wednesday, October 7 (4:15 p.m. – 5:30...
August 21, 2026

UK REACH Update: Transitional Registration Deadlines Deferred

On 6 August 2026, the United Kingdom (UK) government extended the UK Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) transitional deadlines for any company manufacturing or importing chemicals into Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales). Grandfathered substances now have one of the following deadlines depending upon the hazardous properties and tonnage band. 27 October 2029: Substances that are manufactured or imported at or above 1,000 metric...
August 18, 2026

EPA Releases Draft TSCA Risk Evaluations for oDCB and pDCB, “Two Chemicals Found in Household and Commercial Products”

On August 10, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of and requested public comment on the draft risk evaluations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for o-dichlorobenzene (oDCB) and p-dichlorobenzene (pDCB). 91 Fed. Reg. 51488. EPA notes that the purpose of TSCA risk evaluations is to determine whether a chemical substance presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment under the conditions of use (COU),...
August 11, 2026

EPA Releases Draft Exposure Assessments for trans‑1,2‑Dichloroethylene and 1,2‑Dichloropropane

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on July 31, 2026, that it is advancing its review of trans‑1,2‑dichloroethylene and 1,2‑dichloropropane under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) “by releasing draft technical support documents that explain how the agency estimates exposure to these common solvents.” According to EPA, “[e]valuating potential risks from these solvents is important because they are widely used in industry and may be present in...