TSCA Reform: On Thursday, February 3, 2010, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics, and Environmental Health held a hearing titled “Assessing the Effectiveness of U.S. Chemical Safety Laws.” Although the hearing’s title suggests that a broader discussion of US chemical control laws occurred, reforming the federal TSCA statute was the primary focus. […]
FIFRA: On January 11, 2011, EPA issued revised guidance regarding the types of claims that would require registration of cleaning products as pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. §136 et seq. Readers may recall that, in early 2010, the Agency initially issued guidance that could have made claims such as “removes mold, mildew […]
Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS): On December 20, 2010, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its Fall 2010 Unified Agenda. 75 Fed. Reg. 79604. The Agenda sets August 2011 as the date for publishing a final rule that will modify the current hazard communication standard (HCS) at 29 CFR 1910.1200 […]
Green Chemistry: The Green Ribbon Science Panel (GRSP) of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is holding its first meeting of 2011 later this week. The meeting will be held this Friday, February 4. Details and links to additional information are set out in the DTSC notice below. From the agenda, this meeting […]
Sustainable Products: On January 20, 2010, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule announcing its BioPreferred Program, a voluntary product certification and labeling program established under the authority of section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (FSRIA), as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA), 7 […]
TSCA Reform: Chemical and Engineering News reports that representatives from several major US trade associations have stated publicly that they don’t expect modernization of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to be a high priority for Congress in early 2011. Their statements are not surprising. With fears of a double-dip recession still lingering, passage of a substantially revised […]
Nanotechnology: Due to scheduling conflicts, this program is being re-scheduled for sometime between mid-March and mid-April. When a new date is set, program details will be available here.
Nanotechnology: For readers interested in the current state of play regarding governance of nanotechnology, the ABA Pesticides, Chemical Regulation and Right-To-Know Committee, along with other committees listed below, is organizing the following half-day event. ____________ SAVE THE DATE January 27, 2011 NANO GOVERNANCE: THE CURRENT STATE OF FEDERAL, STATE, AND INTERNATIONAL REGULATION Please mark January 27, […]
TSCA/HPV Chemicals: On January 7, 2011, EPA published a final rule under section 4(a)(1)(B) of theToxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), (15U.S.C. 2603(a)(1)(B)), requiring manufacturers, importers, and processors to test 19 high production volume (HPV) chemicals. The rule, which takes effect on February 7, 2011, requires these persons to obtain screening level data for health and environmental effects and chemical fate, and […]
FIFRA: On December 30, 2010, EPA announced a settlement under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) with Crocs, Inc., the company famous for its ubiquitous, colorful foam clogs. EPA alleged that Crocs violated FIFRA by making unsubstantiated antimicrobial health claims on its website, in advertising, and on packaging for several styles of the Company’s shoes. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, […]
