The European Commission published its long-anticipated REACH Review on February 5, concluding that chemical use in Europe was much safer since REACH entered into force in 2007. The Review declined to propose any major changes to the regulatory scheme. The Commission published a 13-page report and 148-page Staff Working Document which covers topics including the […]
Sustainability: Yes, from the state that brought us Thomas Jefferson and so many other leaders, we now get the following. Leaders or not? You decide. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 654 Offered January 9, 2013 Prefiled January 8, 2013 Recognizing the need to oppose United Nations Agenda 21. ———- Patrons– Lingamfelter, Cole, Hodges, Landes and […]
California Green Chemistry Regulations: The saga of California’s nascent Green Chemistry program continues. Last week, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) released the revised text (PDF) of its proposed Safer Consumer Product Regulations. The comment period for the revisions started on January 29 and closes on February 28, 2013. Notably, the revised rules significantly […]
TSCA/FIFRA Enforcement: EPA continues to steadily increase its enforcement of U.S. chemical control laws. Last Thursday, the EPA announced settlements with two subsidiaries of the Finland-based Kemira Group to resolve alleged violations of Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). Kemira Chemicals agreed to pay a civil penalty of […]
UN/Mercury: Last week in Geneva, Switzerland, over 140 countries finalized the first global mercury reduction treaty, the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The treaty follows four years of negotiations among national environment ministers. The Convention is named in honor of Minamata, the Japanese city which suffered severe public health effects from mercury pollution over 50 years […]
China: On January 4, 2013, China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) released regular reporting requirements for four new substances under its chemical registration regime. Two of the newly certified compounds are classified as hazardous and the other two as dangerous. Under China’s new chemical registration regime, the “Provisions on the Environmental Administration of New Chemical […]
UN/Mercury: International negotiators in Geneva for the fifth and final Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee (“INC 5”) hope to complete a mercury reduction treaty by the end of this week, although officials warn that difficult issues remain to be resolved. Delegates from over 130 countries are expected to establish the first international legal instrument with enforceable limits […]
TSCA: On December 19, 2012, the Interagency Testing Committee (ITC) recommended to EPA that 16 High Production Volume (HPV) Challenge Program orphan chemicals be removed from the TSCA Section 4(e) Priority Testing List. (Federal Register notice available here.) The chemicals are listed below. The ITC determined that appropriate actions have been taken to evaluate the hazardous potential […]
Risk Assessment/IRIS: EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (“IRIS”), which assesses the human health risks associated with chemical exposure, has come under fire from the head of the scientific panel charged by Congress to review the program. In recent years, IRIS has been the subject of much criticism, causing Congress to direct a panel of the […]
TSCA Reform: Last week, the Congressional Research Service (“CRS”) released a new report previewing chemical regulation issues for the 113th Congress. According to CRS, lawmakers are likely to prioritize legislative priorities that languished in the last Congress, like bills that would require increased public disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing as well as a proposal […]
