Entries by Verdant Law

California DTSC Announces Two-Day Workshop on Alternatives Assessment

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Green Chemistry/Alternatives Assessment: The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has announced an upcoming two-day workshop on alternatives assessment, a key component of the department’s much-anticipated Safer Consumer Product Alternatives (SCPA) Regulations.  Those regulations are in turn a key component of the state’s vaunted Green Chemistry Initiative.  The timing of this announcement suggests that DTSC will […]

Irene Hantman to Moderate ABA Panel on Federal Suspension and Debarment Authority

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Enforcement: Verdant Law is pleased to announce that Irene Hantman will be moderating a panel on the federal government’s suspension and debarment authority.  The program, “Suspension and Debarment an Administrative Tool for Addressing NonCompliance: Perspective from EPA,” is sponsored by the ABA Sections on Administrative Law and Environment, Energy, and Resources.  It will be hosted […]

Final OSHA Rule Published on Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals

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GHS/HazCom: March 26, 2012, the Federal Register published OSHA’s final Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS).  With this rule OSHA has modified its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to be consistent with to the United Nations’ System. GHS Requirements OSHA estimates that 880,000 hazardous chemicals are currently used in the U.S., and […]

DTSC Delay of Official Draft SCPA Regulation Is Too Coincidental

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Green Chemistry Regulations: As of Friday, stakeholders have reason to doubt the assertions of good faith by the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).  As readers will undoubtedly know, DTSC has made a concerted effort to reassure stakeholders that it’s operating in good faith – protecting the interests of all stakeholders – when drafting the Safer Consumer […]

OSHA Requests Public Comment on Extending the Information Collection Requirements in the Cadmium in General Industry Standard

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OSHA: On March 6, 2010, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a Federal Register notice (77 FR 13359), requesting public comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements set out in the Cadmium in General Industry Standard (29 CFR 1910.1027).  The proposal […]

Environmental Advocates Want Disclosure of Chemicals in Consumer Products

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Chemicals in Consumer Products: Researchers at the Silent Spring Institute argue that the findings of their consumer product evaluation illustrate the need for full disclosure of ingredient information. The Institute tested consumer products — ranging from toothpaste to laundry detergent — for compounds identified as either endocrine disruptors or asthma-related. Most products evaluated by the […]

EPA Releases Draft Chemical Regulation Priorities for Fiscal Year 2013

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Chemical Regulation: Readers interested in EPA FY 2013 plans may wish to review the Agency’s draft National Program Manager (NPM) Guidance plans. The draft plan from the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) discusses priorities for the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), and regional priorities. […]

NRDC Recommends Improvements to Chemical Risk Assessment Methods

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Chemical Risk Assessment:  Readers following efforts to improve chemical management and control in the United States may be interested in a recent National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) White Paper, Strengthening Toxic Chemical Risk Assessments to Protect Human Health.  In the White Paper, NRDC reaches several conclusions in reliance on National Academy of Sciences (NAS) findings […]

France to require mandatory reporting of nanoscale materials in 2013

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Nanotechnology: France will implement a compulsory declaration scheme for the quantities and uses of nanoparticle substances or nanomaterials produced in, distributed in, or imported to France January 1, 2013. Information about material identity, quantity, uses, and users will be required from all companies producing, distributing and importing nanomaterials, and public and private research laboratories. The […]

EPA Denies TSCA Petition for Banning Lead Fishing Tackle

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TSCA: On February 14, 2012, EPA formally announced that it was denying the Center for Biological Diversity’s petition to ban or restrict lead (Pb) in fishing tackle  – fishing weights, sinkers, lures,jigs, etc. – pursuant to section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  The agency stated succinctly:  “After careful review, EPA has determined that, while […]