Inhance Technologies LLC (“Inhance”) must stop producing PFAS substances created during its fluorination of high-density polyethylene plastic containers, according to two orders issued by EPA on December 1, 2023. EPA first became aware of PFAS contamination in fluorinated plastic containers in late 2020. In March 2022, EPA issued a Notice of Violation to Inhance for […]
EPA’s ban on the pesticide chlorpyrifos was arbitrary and capricious because the Agency failed to adequately consider other options, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on November 2, 2023, in the case Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Ass’n v. Regan. EPA’s 2021 revocation of all chlorpyrifos tolerances was the result of a Ninth Circuit […]
Under a new California law enacted on October 7, 2023, companies selling carbon offsets or making carbon-neutral claims must now provide evidence to substantiate these measures and claims. The law requires that businesses marketing carbon offsets disclose specific information on their websites. This includes details on how emissions reductions were estimated, data and calculation methods […]
On September 23, 2023, EPA announced that it is adding 10 chemicals to the Safer Chemicals Ingredients List (SCIL), a list of chemicals which have been reviewed by EPA’s Safer Choice Program and meet its Safer Choice Criteria. The chemicals on the list are considered to be among the safest chemicals for their functional use […]
On behalf of EPA, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against the online retailer eBay for selling and distributing “hundreds of thousands of products” that allegedly violate the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). DOJ first alleges that eBay […]
A coalition of environmental and health groups led by the Environmental Defense Fund have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke approval of fluorinated polyethylene as an indirect food additive. According to the petition, manufacture of fluorinated polyethylene produces PFAS, including harmful perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids if water or oxygen is present. FDA approved […]
This September, the Department of Defense (DOD) announced the approval of the first PFAS-free foam for firefighting activities at military installations. The approval is an important step in phasing out the use of PFAS-containing aqueous film forming foams (AFFFs), which are used to extinguish liquid fires. The day after the foam received DOD approval, the […]
Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against EPA for failing to complete risk evaluations for 22 substances that may cause harm to humans and the environment. Under section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act, EPA is required to conduct risk evaluations on “high priority” existing substances to determine whether they pose an unreasonable risk […]
EPA has released a beta version of ChemExpo, a free, publicly available web application that allows users to explore and visualize data on how chemicals are used in commerce. ChemExpo will serve as a user-friendly interface for EPA’s Chemicals and Products Database (CPDat). According to EPA, CPDat maps “more than 49,000 chemicals to a set […]
Health Canada has released a notice of intent requesting comments on proposed regulatory requirements for consumer chemical products under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA). The Department says it will use the comments and information received to shape a potential regulatory initiative that would mandate information disclosure and other requirements for certain human health […]
