The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) will hold a webinar on May 7, 2026, from 11:00-12:40 (Helsinki time) on the restriction proposal on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). ECHA experts will present the Risk Assessment Committee’s (RAC) final opinion and the Socio-Economic Analysis Committee’s (SEAC) draft opinion, covering hazards, emissions, risks, alternatives, socio-economic impacts, and next steps. The session includes a one-hour live question and answer...
April 21, 2026
EPA Releases Draft Risk Evaluations, Draft Hazard Assessments, and Supporting Documents for Four Chemicals
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 10, 2026, that it is advancing its review of four chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) -- 1,3,4,6,7,8-Hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta [g]-2-benzopyran (HHCB), phthalic anhydride, o-dichlorobenzene (oDCB), and p-dichlorobenzene (pDCB) -- by releasing draft documents related to the review of these chemicals and convening a Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) peer review meeting. According to...
The Development Law Service (LEGN) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will hold a webinar on April 30, 2026, at 14:30 (CEST) aimed at enhancing awareness and understanding of the legal concept of the Rights of Nature. According to FAO, the webinar will clarify the concept of Rights of Nature, highlight relevant jurisprudential and legislative developments across jurisdictions, and explore potential linkages with LEGN’s thematic areas,...
On April 6, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the draft of its sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) issued under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), including for the first time microplastics as a priority contaminant group. 91 Fed. Reg. 17186. Section 1412(b)(1)(B)(i) of SDWA, as amended in 1996, requires that EPA publish the CCL every five years. The contaminants on the List are not regulated under national primary drinking water regulations, but either occur or...
March 31, 2026
RAC and Draft SEAC Opinions Support REACH PFAS Restriction with Targeted Derogations; Comments on Draft SEAC Opinion Due May 25
On March 26, 2026, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) released the final opinion of its Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) and the draft opinion of its Socio-Economic Analysis Committee (SEAC) on the proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the European Union’s (EU) Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation. According to ECHA, RAC and SEAC “support an EU-wide restriction, subject to specific derogations, on the...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on March 24, 2026, that it will propose to extend certain compliance dates in the December 2024 final risk management rules for perchloroethylene (PCE) and carbon tetrachloride (CTC) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). According to EPA, it continues to revise the final rules “to ensure they are practical and implementable to protect human health and the environment and maintain uses that power the U.S. economy.” Until EPA...
The Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change (MoEUCC) has released an executive summary clarifying temporary registrations and temporary individual registrations under KKDIK (Kimyasalların Kaydı, Değerlendirilmesi, İzni ve Kısıtlanması). The announcement addresses situations where companies have pre-registered substances but cannot proceed with joint registration due to the absence of a lead registrant. In these cases, companies may submit a temporary individual...
As of February 24, 2026, the United Kingdom (UK) government has announced that the interim approaches to adding Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) to the UK Candidate List no longer apply and have been replaced with a new strategic approach. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU), the 2021 interim principles facilitated a case-by-case review process for adding substances to the UK Candidate List, incorporating Regulatory Management Options Analyses (RMOA), and consideration...
After February 5, 2027, companies wishing to benefit from the reduced fees for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SME) must apply for company size validation prior to submitting their Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) dossiers. This contrasts with the current process, where SME status is confirmed retrospectively, after registrations are submitted. Under the European Commission’s updated REACH Fee Regulation, SMEs planning to...
March 16, 2026
“TSCA CBI Re-substantiation: When, Why, and How to Prepare,” April 9, 2026, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EDT), via webinar
The Acta Group (Acta®) affiliate Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to present "TSCA CBI Re-substantiation: When, Why, and How to Prepare." The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) provides critical protections for commercially sensitive information related to a company’s business, processes, and chemicals. The 2016 Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act amendments included a ten-year cap on many confidential business information (CBI) claims, absent a...