Entries by hgoodwin

Scientists Critique EPA’s Draft Evaluation of Phthalate DCHP

A collection of scientists, academics, and clinicians have called for “extensive revisions” to EPA’s draft risk evaluation for dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), arguing that the assessment “failed to incorporate the best available science and makes a number of scientifically unsupported assumptions.” The May 9 comments were submitted by the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment […]

EPA Again Delays PFAS Reporting Rule

On May 13, 2025, EPA issued an interim final rule delaying implementation of the PFAS reporting requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), citing technical difficulties. The submission period is now scheduled to begin on April 13, 2026, instead of July 11, 2025.  It will close on October 13, 2026, with an alternate deadline […]

Court Blocks Prop 65 Acrylamide Warning for Food Products

On May 2, 2025, the District Court for the Eastern District of California ruled that California’s Proposition 65 (Prop 65) warning requirement for dietary acrylamide constitutes unconstitutional compelled speech, granting a permanent injunction barring its enforcement in California Chamber of Commerce v. Bonta, No. 2:19-cv-02019. The court acknowledged that the entirety of the warning requirement—which […]

Environmental Groups Urge EPA to Block Motiva Chemical Applications

Environmental groups are urging EPA to deny 17 new chemical applications submitted by Motiva Enterprises for production at its refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, arguing that the new chemicals would endanger nearby residents who already experience disproportionately high exposures to pollution. Joint comments on the premanufacture notices (PMNs) were submitted by Community In-Power and Development Association […]

Apple Moves to Dismiss Watch Band PFAS Suit

A proposed class action alleging that Apple Watch bands contain PFAS should be dismissed for lack of standing, Apple told the District Court for the Northern District of California on April 14, 2025. The plaintiffs in Cavalier v. Apple, Inc., No. 5:25-cv-713, claim that a published study detected PFHxA (a type of PFAS) and “significantly […]

Court Reinstates Suit Alleging Roundup “Expiration” Due to Carcinogenic Impurity

Allegations that Monsanto’s popular Roundup-brand weedkillers degrade into a carcinogenic impurity will proceed, after the Ninth Circuit reinstated a proposed class action a district court had dismissed for failure to state a claim. Unlike the many personal injury suits over Roundup, the plaintiffs in this case assert purely economic harms.  They allege that consumers would […]

EPA Announces Intent to Reconsider Risk Evaluation Framework Rule

The Trump EPA announced in a March 10, 2025 press release that it will reconsider the Biden-era risk evaluation framework rule governing assessments of existing chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). As discussed in a previous blog post, the risk evaluation framework rule replaced regulations promulgated by the first Trump administration.  The Biden-era […]

Health and Safety Reporting Rule Finalized for 16 Chemicals

On December 13, 2024, EPA finalized a rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) requiring manufacturers of 16 chemical substances to submit unpublished health and safety studies to EPA.  The agency will use this information to inform possible evaluation and regulation of these substances under TSCA section 6. Once the rule takes effect on […]

Gore-Tex Maker Faces PFAS Greenwashing Allegations

A proposed federal class action has been filed against W.L. Gore & Associates, accusing the company of systematically misleading customers about the sustainability of its widely used Gore-Tex Fabric. The February 11 complaint alleges that Gore-Tex is produced using PFAS, chemicals that pose “extremely dangerous health and environmental effects” and allegedly shed from Gore-Tex during […]

EPA and OSHA Reach TSCA Section 6 Information Sharing Agreement

On January 13, 2025, EPA and OSHA released a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) governing the agencies’ coordination on “existing chemical substances that are subject to prioritization, risk evaluation, and risk management by EPA under section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).” The MOU provides for regularly scheduled updates between the agencies on […]