Posted on February 02, 2023 by editor
Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) January 31, 2023, webinar “What to Expect in Chemicals Policy and Regulation and on Capitol Hill in 2023” is now available for on-demand viewing. During this one-hour webinar, Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C; James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant, B&C; Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, B&C; and Dennis R. Deziel, Senior Government Affairs Advisor, B&C discussed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) priorities, leadership, and operating environment in the new year. This includes a review of priorities and challenges that will shape updates that are expected to affect Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) implementation in 2023.
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Posted on January 11, 2023 by editorRegistration is now open for the “What to Expect in Chemicals Policy and Regulation and on Capitol Hill in 2023” webinar on January 31, 2023, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (EST).
This webinar offers our best-informed judgment as to the trends and key developments chemical industry stakeholders can expect in 2023. At a political level, the Republicans’ narrow control of the U.S. House of Representatives will almost certainly invite a greater degree of oversight of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actions, particularly with respect to implementation of the 2016 amendments of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Concepts core to the Act, including “reasonably foreseen,” “to the extent necessary,” “systematic review,” and “best available science,” continue to evolve and not always in predictable, coherent, and consistent ways. Similar policy shifts are seen in the agricultural and biocidal area, with perhaps less dramatic effect. How the 2024 general election will influence EPA’s policy choices is unclear. In that the election cycle has already begun, we caution all to buckle up and prepare for what we expect will be an eventful, fascinating year.
Register now to join Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C ®); James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant, B&C; Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, B&C; and Dennis R. Deziel, Senior Government Affairs Advisor, B&C for this informative and forward-looking webinar.
Topics Covered:
- TSCA in 2023
- Final rules for mitigating risks identified in EPA risk assessments
- Proposed rules for mitigating risks identified in EPA risk assessments
- Risk evaluations -- assumptions and methods
- Test orders to impose chemical testing requirements
- New chemicals update on premanufacture notice (PMN) issues
- Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) in 2023
- Congressional renewal of Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) (registration fee program) for an additional five years
- Endangered Species Act (ESA) program plans and progress
- Program priorities for 2023, including environmental justice, registration review deadlines, staffing and budget, and possible 2023 Farm Bill actions
Speakers Include:
James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant with B&C, has been intimately involved with the TSCA and FIFRA legislative reauthorization and key regulatory matters for over four decades. Mr. Aidala brings extensive legislative experience on Capitol Hill and past experience as the senior official at EPA for pesticide and chemical regulation and provides clients with vital insights into not only relevant current policies of EPA and sister agencies, but also the way these policies have been or are likely to be formulated to help clients more successfully address regulatory matters.
Richard E. Engler, Ph.D. is Director of Chemistry with B&C. Dr. Engler is a 17-year veteran of EPA and is one of the most widely recognized experts in the field of green chemistry, having served as senior staff scientist in EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) and leader of EPA’s Green Chemistry Program. He has participated in thousands of TSCA substance reviews at EPA, as well as pre-notice and post-review meetings with submitters to resolve complex or difficult cases, and he draws upon this invaluable experience to assist B&C clients as they develop and commercialize novel chemistries.
Dennis R. Deziel, Senior Government Affairs Advisor with B&C, has an extraordinary depth of experience and knowledge of the regulatory process and government advocacy, honed through a career of senior leadership roles at EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), among other significant positions. As Administrator of EPA Region 1, Mr. Deziel led the region’s 500-plus employees in managing energy, environment, and sustainability policy and programs, building coalitions across a wide range of stakeholders, including members of Congress, governors, federal and state government officials, industry, non-governmental organizations (NGO), and local communities.
Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C, has earned an international reputation for her deep and expansive understanding of how regulatory programs pertain to nanotechnology, industrial biotechnology, synthetic biology, and other emerging transformative technologies. Ms. Bergeson counsels corporations, trade associations, and business consortia on a wide range of issues pertaining to chemical hazard, exposure and risk assessment, risk communication, minimizing legal liability, and evolving regulatory and policy matters.
Posted on October 20, 2022 by editor
October 26, 2022
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (EDT)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that 48 million people in the United States (1 in 6) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne diseases. In 2011, President Obama signed into law the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in part to address this significant public health issue. FSMA is a comprehensive law intended to shift the focus of foodborne illness management from responding to outbreaks to preventing them. FSMA consists of seven major rules, each meant to improve the safety and sustainability of the nation’s food supply, regardless of its country of origin, and identify clear, specific actions to achieve enhanced food safety.
This webinar will focus on FSMA and discuss the incremental progress the law has achieved in assuring food safety. In addition, the webinar will include a look at the New Era of Smarter Food Safety, a 2020 initiative meant to enhance FSMA, and improve food safety outcomes by leveraging technology. Register now to join Thomas J. Dunn, Karin F. Baron, and Lynn L. Bergeson for the Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) sponsored webinar, “Food Safety Issues in the United States.”
Topics Covered:
- Review of FSMA
- Discussion on food safety over the past decade
- New Era of Smarter Food Safety
Speakers Include:
Thomas J. Dunn, Managing Director, Flexpacknology llc, has been an active practitioner in the flexible packaging industry since 1979, with significant responsibilities as an associate with the Flexible Packaging Association and Printpack Inc. He supplemented his professional accomplishments with leadership roles in industry associations (FPA, RadTech NA) and professional societies (TAPPI, SPE, IFT). Dunn has authored peer-reviewed papers, served on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant proposal review panels, and contributed content to major technical publications in the industry.
Karin F. Baron, MSPH, Senior Regulatory Consultant, B&C, has more than 20 years’ experience developing, implementing, and managing complex chemical regulatory compliance matters for some of the largest industrial and specialty chemical companies in the world. Her primary areas of practice include hazard and risk assessment and communication, industrial hygiene and environmental health and safety (EHS) programs, FDA regulations pertaining to food contact materials, and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), including compliant safety data sheets (SDS).
Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C, has earned an international reputation for her deep and expansive understanding of how regulatory programs pertain to industrial biotechnology, synthetic biology, and other emerging transformative technologies. She counsels corporations, trade associations, and business consortia on a wide range of issues pertaining to chemical hazard, exposure and risk assessment, risk communication, minimizing legal liability, and evolving regulatory and policy matters.
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Posted on April 28, 2022 by editorWednesday, May 18, 2022
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (EDT)
Register Today
A circular economy requires new thinking about what products we make, from which materials we make them, and where products go at the end of their useful life. An important but often overlooked aspect of new product development is an understanding of the consequences of the product’s chemical composition and the end-of-life implications of the decisions made at the front end of the process. Working within this framework plays a critical role in building a resilient, dependable, and sustainable system that fosters innovation to develop a circular economy. Register now to join Lynn L. Bergeson, Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Kate Sellers, and Mathy Stanislaus, as Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) presents “Domestic Chemical Regulation and Achieving Circularity.”
Topics Covered:
- Achieving sustainability and the promise of the circular economy
- Defining sustainable chemistry under the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act
- Federal policy and Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regulatory shifts intended to support sustainability and circularity
- Transitioning chemicals from research and development (R&D) platforms into the market
- Changes to TSCA and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) that affect chemical innovation
Speakers Include:
Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C, has earned an international reputation for her deep and expansive understanding of how regulatory programs pertain to industrial biotechnology, synthetic biology, and other emerging transformative technologies. She counsels corporations, trade associations, and business consortia on a wide range of issues pertaining to chemical hazard, exposure and risk assessment, risk communication, minimizing legal liability, and evolving regulatory and policy matters.
Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, B&C, is a 17-year veteran of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is one of the most widely recognized experts in the field of green chemistry, having served as senior staff scientist in EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) and leader of EPA’s Green Chemistry Program. His expansive understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities that TSCA presents for green and sustainable chemistry is a powerful asset for clients as they develop and commercialize novel chemistries.
Kate Sellers, Technical Fellow at ERM, leads a multi-disciplinary team of professionals dedicated to helping companies recognize the business value of product stewardship. Over the past year, Kate has seen an uptick in several product sustainability trends, including implementation of the TSCA life-cycle assessment, circular economy programs, and sustainability initiatives. In addition to her consulting work, Kate teaches “Product Stewardship and Chemical Sustainability” at Harvard University
Mathy Stanislaus, was recently appointed as Vice Provost and Executive Director of Drexel University’s Environmental Collaboratory, bringing interdisciplinary expertise in environmental sciences, engineering, law, health, business, economics, policy, and humanities to co-design transformative environmental solutions. Stanislaus joined Drexel from the Global Battery Alliance (GBA), a multi-stakeholder initiative established at the World Economic Forum (WEF), where he served as its first interim director and policy director with a focus on establishing a global transparent data authentication system to scale up electric mobility and clean energy. He also led the establishment of the Platform for Accelerating Circular Economy at WEF. Mathy served for eight years as the Senate-confirmed Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Land & Emergency Management for the Obama Administration, leading programs to revitalize communities through the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated sites, hazardous and solid waste materials management, chemical plant safety, and oil spill prevention and emergency response. During this Administration, he led the establishment of the G7 Alliance for Resource Efficiency that focused on the opportunities in the supply chain to drive circularity and de-carbonization.
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Posted on April 21, 2022 by Lisa M. CampbellBergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) April 20, 2022, webinar “FIFRA Hot Topics” is now available for on-demand viewing at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/7426709986449689102. During this one-hour webinar, Lisa M. Campbell, Partner, B&C, moderated a lively and informative discussion between Edward Messina, Director, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), and James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant, B&C, as they discussed key OPP developments and priorities.
With year one of the Biden Administration’s term in the history books, EPA OPP is focusing on long-standing challenges, especially EPA-wide efforts to implement Environmental Justice (EJ) work and determining how best to meet core pesticide registration review obligations in 2022. During this webinar, Messina spoke about the recently released Endangered Species Act (ESA) Workplan, chlorpyrifos and dicamba developments, pesticide product performance data requirements, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) issues, as Aidala followed up with questions informed by his many years of experience in senior positions at EPA.
We encourage you to view the webinar, subscribe to B&C’s informative FIFRAblog™ and pesticide newsletter, and access more pesticide development news directly from OPP on its website.
Posted on April 20, 2022 by Lisa M. CampbellBy Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 18, 2022, that it will hold a webinar on May 11, 2022, entitled “Data-Driven Solutions to Reducing Animal Use in Ecotoxicity.” Speakers will include:
- Carlie LaLone, Ph.D., EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD), on “The Sequence Alignment to Predict Across Species Susceptibility (SeqAPASS) Tool: Extrapolating Knowledge Computationally.” EPA states that regulatory decision-making for chemical safety relies upon toxicity data generated from laboratory test species for the protection of wildlife in the environment. Typically, ecological risk assessments integrate safety factors to account for interspecies variability. According to EPA, the SeqAPASS tool is a more informed way to extrapolate knowledge from model species to other species that does not require the use of animals in toxicity testing and instead uses existing protein sequence knowledge. LaLone will describe EPA’s SeqAPASS tool and its applications for cross-species extrapolation relative to understanding conservation of biology and predicting chemical susceptibility.
- Michael Lowit, Ph.D., EPA Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), on “Exploring Potential Reductions in Fish Testing in a Regulatory Context.” According to EPA, as part of its commitment to reducing animal testing, OPP is conducting retrospective analyses of existing data to evaluate critically which EPA guideline studies form the basis of regulatory decisions. EPA states that the results from these analyses can inform if reductions can be made to the number of animals used without reducing the quality of ecological risk assessments. EPA is currently conducting a retrospective analysis for fish acute toxicity tests, which are used by OPP to assess potential risk to fish species from pesticides. For each pesticide, EPA typically requires in vivo testing of three different fish species. Lowit will focus on the relative sensitivity among species subjected to in vivo fish acute toxicity studies. The results of this analysis will inform whether there is a basis for reducing the number of species while providing sufficient information to support pesticide registration decisions.
The webinar is co-organized by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Science Consortium International, EPA, and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). EPA notes that it does not necessarily endorse the views of the speakers. Registration is now open.
Posted on April 06, 2022 by editorWednesday, April 20, 2022
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (EDT)
Register Today
Register now to join Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) for “FIFRA Hot Topics,” a complimentary webinar covering key Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) priorities and what companies should know to avoid market delays.
Speakers include:
Program:
With year one of the Biden Administration’s term in the history books, we have a clearer sense of how EPA is proceeding on all fronts. EPA OPP is focusing on long-standing challenges, especially a renewed effort to meet Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation requirements and determining how best to meet core pesticide registration review obligations in 2022. These program priorities must reflect special considerations for environmental justice and climate change, advance critical science and policy issues, develop a fifth Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) implementation framework, and display a renewed commitment to working collaboratively with state partners and other stakeholders to implement the program.
Topics Covered:
- OPP and Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Issues and Priorities
- Climate Change and Environmental Justice
- Trade and Import Issues
- Recent Developments in EPA Efforts to Better Coordinate FIFRA Efforts and ESA Requirements
- Reauthorization of PRIA
- Additional Review of Chlorpyrifos and Dicamba
- Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Pesticide Containers
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Posted on February 02, 2022 by editorBergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C®) January 26, 2022, webinar “What to Expect in Chemicals in 2022” is now available for on-demand viewing at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/864194569862780944. During the 1-hour webinar, Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C; Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, B&C; and James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant, B&C offered their best informed judgment as to the trends and key developments chemical industry stakeholders should expect to see from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2022.
Momentous changes initiated in 2021 will continue to influence policy development and rulemakings in 2022. For EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), emphasis on science integrity, reviewing decisions made by the Trump Administration in both the pesticide and industrial chemicals programs, meeting statutory deadlines looming over the work of both programs, and dealing with the constant problem of EPA-wide competing priorities will drive the OCSPP program budget and regulatory priorities. We encourage you to view the webinar and read our comprehensive Forecast for U.S. Federal and International Chemical Regulatory Policy 2022 to learn more about these competing priorities for which companies should now prepare.
Posted on June 04, 2021 by Lisa M. CampbellBy Barbara A. Christianson
On June 4, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will host a webinar for pesticide registrants to provide registrants an overview on how to request Certificates of Registration, commonly known as Gold Seal letters, using the Pesticide Submission Portal. Gold Seal letters serve as proof for pesticide exporters that the product is registered with EPA and meets all necessary registration requirements.
According to EPA, since launching the digital platform in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the electronic process has resulted in quicker processing of Gold Seal letters and thorough and complete internal tracking. Due to continuing safety precautions within EPA, it is still unable to produce traditional, paper-based Gold Seal letters. Accordingly, registrants must continue to submit requests through the Pesticide Submission Portal.
Stakeholders interested in attending the presentation can click here to join the online meeting (registration is not required). The webinar will be held on June 14, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).
Information on how to request a Gold Seal certificate letter, including information on how registrants should present the letters to the U.S. Department of State when authentication is needed for business purposes, is available here.
Posted on September 28, 2020 by editorInnovations in agricultural chemicals have revolutionized and enhanced food production, but with progress come new challenges. Agricultural chemicals can have widespread impacts on ecosystems and human health, and marginalized communities -- children and farmworkers in particular -- can be especially vulnerable. Manufacturers, regulatory agencies, public health experts, and nonprofit organizations are working to address these challenges head-on by developing new products and devising robust protective measures.
Recent changes in federal regulations include the Worker Protection Standards under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), which expand the requirements for protecting agricultural workers from pesticide exposure. The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) presents "Pesticides, Farmworkers, Industry, and Environmental Justice," a webinar exploring the issues addressed in the new regulations and the implementation of these new obligations. James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), will moderate this discussion.
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