The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) recently issued a Draft Three-Year Priority Product Work Plan (2018-2020) under the state Safer Consumer Products program (also known as the “green chemistry” program). The draft Work Plan would supersede the current plan adopted in 2015, and lists the categories of products that DTSC intends to investigate […]
On February 23, 2018, the FDA National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) released a draft report on the chronic toxicity of BPA in rats. NCTR found few significant effects of BPA. In the press release reporting these findings, FDA announced that “initial review [of the study findings] supports our determination that currently authorized uses of […]
Consumer products containing methylisothiazolinone (MIT) will need to be labeled to indicate that the product contains an allergen when the substance is present at greater than 0.0015%. This is based on a classification approved by the European Commission’s REACH committee on February 20, 2018. Product labeling will be required to state, “Contains methylisothiazolinone. May cause […]
In a wide-ranging opinion issued February 16, the D.C. Circuit invalidated major aspects of EPA’s Implementation Rule for the 2008 national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for ozone. (South Coast Air Quality Management District v. EPA, No. 15-1115). Primary holdings are as follows: States cannot take credit for NOx or VOC emission reductions outside of […]
The TSCA Inventory Reset process is designed to identify which listed chemical substances are and which are not actively used in commerce. Substances identified as “in commerce” will be placed on the “Active Inventory.” Substances not currently in commerce will be placed on the “Inactive Inventory.” Companies will not be able to lawfully manufacture, import, […]
As required under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, EPA has released its annual plan for chemical risk evaluations. The annual plan identifies the next steps for the first 10 chemical reviews currently underway, and describes EPA’s work in 2018 to prepare for future risk evaluations. EPA was required to […]
In late January, EPA issued a guidance memorandum rescinding the agency’s prior policy that once a source becomes a major source subject to a maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standard under section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), it cannot be reclassified later as an area source not subject to MACT. The prior policy, […]
The UK recently issued A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment. The document sets out a UK plan “to help the natural world regain and retain good health.” The plan states that the government will publish a new Chemicals Strategy to tackle chemicals of national concern that will build on existing […]
On January 5, 2018, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a petition for review with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, asking that the court review “a final rule of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) entitled New Chemicals Decision-Making Framework: Working Approach to Making Determinations under Section 5 of […]
A public hearing on California’s Safer Consumer Product’s third proposed Priority Product regulation will be held on January 8, 2018. The hearing will begin at 1:00 PM in the Sierra Hearing Room at the CalEPA Building, located at 1001 “I” Street, Sacramento, California, and remain open until 5:00 PM or until no attendees present testimony, […]
