All Knowledge & Insights By Date

On September 26, 2013, the People's Republic of China State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), in conjunction with other Ministries, issued the much anticipated draft Hazardous Chemicals List, commonly referred to as the Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals, for review and comment. Comments on the draft Catalog are due October 31, 2013. Stakeholders with interests in China should review this list now, and assess their business and compliance obligations to avoid business...

In an October 7, 2013, story titled “US EPA’s Pesticide Programme Halted by Shutdown,” Agrow Daily News Alert quoted James V. Aidala: “Key OPP policy initiatives are also on hold, including the effort to address concerns about the decline of bees through revised labels for neonicotinoid insecticides. The EPA asked for registrants of four neonicotinoids - imidacloprid, dinotefuran, clothianidin and thiamethoxam - to submit revised labels by October 1st with the aim of...

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule aligning its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) became effective on May 25, 2012. The rule includes a December 1, 2013, deadline for employee training on safety data sheets (SDS), which is fast approaching. Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. offers comprehensive global solutions for complying with GHS regulations:...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed on September 30, 2013, a final rule amending a significant new use rule (SNUR) for perfluoroalkyl sulfonate (PFAS) chemical substances. The amendment adds PFAS chemical substances that have completed the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) new chemical review process, but have not yet commenced production or import, and designates (for all listed PFAS chemical substances) "processing" as a significant new use. The final rule also includes a...

The European Union (EU) Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) has entered into EU law. This legislation changes the way in which biocidal active substances and biocidal products are regulated in the EU. The new EU regulatory system differs from other global regulatory systems for biocidal substances and redefines what are considered biocidal products and treated articles. Companies competing in this space must be aware of and careful to ensure that existing supply chains and biocidal product...

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC or Department) Safer Consumer Products Regulations (Regulations) take effect today. Memoranda providing background information on the Regulations are available online. The Regulations and Final Statement of Reasons are available online. The most onerous requirements for "responsible entities" (i.e., manufacturers, importers, assemblers, and retailers) will not be felt until DTSC identifies the first Priority Products,...

AUSTRALIA Australia Seeks Comment On Fifth Tranche Of IMAP Assessments: The National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) has published for public comment the fifth tranche of human health and environmental assessments for chemicals identified as part of the Stage One implementation of the Inventory Multi-Tiered Assessment and Prioritization (IMAP) Framework. NICNAS requests comments where information that has the...

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C) is pleased to announce that Lara A. Hall, a Registered Quality Assurance Professional in Good Laboratory Practice with a Masters degree in Biology, has joined our staff of scientists at B&C, The Acta Group (Acta), and B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM). With over a decade of experience in environmental research, study monitoring, and international regulatory support, Ms. Hall will assist our clients in placing and monitoring studies to assist...

On September 18, 2013, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy convened a hearing on the "Regulation of Existing Chemicals and the Role of Pre-Emption under Sections 6 and 18 of the Toxic Substances Control Act." This was the Subcommittee's third hearing on Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) issues, and was intended to focus "on the existing statutory provisions, regulatory implementation, and 'real world' implications of TSCA section 6 requirements related to...

In an article published September 11, 2013, in Environmental Leader, Lynn L. Bergeson explored the implications of a recent EPA action: "The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently withdrew two draft regulations intended to enhance chemical oversight. Both initiatives had been languishing at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for years, long overstaying their customary (and mandated) 90-day review periods. The inferences and conclusions that can be drawn from EPA's...