By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a webinar on July 18, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) on its recent final procedural rule for submitting confidential business information (CBI) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The final rule increases transparency, modernizes the reporting and review procedures for CBI, and aligns with the 2016 amendments to TSCA. The rule will become effective on August 7, 2023. EPA states that the webinar will be useful for anyone looking for an overview of the new rule and the new requirements for companies that submit data under TSCA. It will include a demonstration of how and where to locate and open time-sensitive notifications from EPA relating to CBI claims and how to update company contact information, and it will show how CBI claim requirements have been further integrated into TSCA reporting applications. Registration for the webinar is open. More information is available in our June 12, 2023, memorandum.

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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) has postponed the webinar originally scheduled for December 13, 2022, on the “SAF Grand Challenge Roadmap: Soaring Towards Sustainable Fuel Production Goals.” According to BETO, the webinar will take place in early 2023. As reported in our November 29, 2022, blog item, the webinar will cover the six action areas that support the Grand Challenge’s goals of:

• Reducing life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 50 percent compared to conventional fuel;
• Producing enough sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to meet 100 percent of aviation fuel demand by 2050; and
• Enhancing fuel sustainability.

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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
On October 18, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) New Chemicals Program held a webinar on EPA’s process for assessing the potential risks of new chemicals under Section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the types of data EPA considers in this assessment. Specifically, the webinar covered examples of data (quantitative and qualitative) that are not likely to be accepted for engineering assessment, considerations EPA makes when evaluating data, and clarifications of common misconceptions in EPA’s new chemical assessments. The webinar was the second in a series of webinars intended to increase the efficiency and transparency of EPA’s new chemical determinations. EPA will hold a third webinar to communicate additional information intended to help submitters of new chemicals supplement complete initial review submissions. EPA will post information on the third webinar as it becomes available. In July 2022, EPA hosted the first webinar, analyzing common issues that cause EPA to have to rework risk assessments. More information on the first webinar is available in our July 28, 2022, memorandum. The slides for the second webinar are available online.
 
The webinar included several case studies from past TSCA Section 5 submissions. The case studies discuss how EPA evaluates submitted information and determines whether it is acceptable for the engineering assessment. According to EPA, worker inhalation exposure from particulates is a frequent area of rework. EPA selected several case studies to cover situations where submitter claims were either accepted or not accepted and provided rationales for each type of determination. EPA expects manufacturing, processing, and use operations involving handling, transferring, unloading, or loading the new chemical substances (NCS) in solid forms to present potential exposure for workers to total and respirable particles. In the absence of specific and substantiated information from the submitter, EPA will assess inhalation exposure to total and respirable particulates using either the applicable Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Emission Scenario Documents (ESD) or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated (PNOR) Total and Respirable Dust, Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) Model.
 
A more detailed summary of the webinar and an insightful commentary are available in our October 25, 2022, memorandum.

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Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C^®) October 11, 2022, webinar “Environmental, Social, and Governance Issues: A Business Imperative” is now available for on-demand viewing at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/4666338769766648838. During this one-hour webinar, experts from FTI Consulting, Christine DiBartolo, Senior Managing Director, Head of Americas Corporate Reputation, and Ken Ditzel, Senior Managing Director, explore the hows and whys of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, clearing up what can be a confusing “alphabet soup” for newcomers and providing practical tips for embarking upon an ESG journey for entities beginning the process. In conversation with Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C, panelists discussed how to conduct an ESG assessment, what makes an ESG program successful, and risks and opportunities that must be considered when undertaking this significant task. A well-designed ESG strategy can achieve meaningful improvements in corporate performance and provide real value to stakeholders through specific commitments to corporate responsibility, making it well worth the effort.

We encourage you to view the webinar, read about ESG and Sustainability, and subscribe to B&C’s informative blogs and newsletters and FTI Consulting’s ESG+ newsletter.

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Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.’s (B&C^®) May 18, 2022, webinar “Domestic Chemical Regulation and Achieving Circularity” is now available for on-demand viewing. During this one-hour webinar, Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C, moderated a timely and fascinating review of the state of sustainable chemical regulation in the United States with Kate Sellers, Technical Fellow, ERM; Mathy Stanislaus, Vice Provost, Executive Director, The Environmental Collaboratory, Drexel University; and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, B&C.
 
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 lives. 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. During the webinar, Ms. Sellers outlined barriers and enablers to the circular economy, including practical challenges like supply chain limitations and industry frameworks; Dr. Engler highlighted how the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regulates discarded substances used as feedstocks by others and articles that may contain contaminants that could affect how an article is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under TSCA; and Mr. Stanislaus reviewed policy issues, including waste management hierarchy, circular economy hierarchy, and other mechanisms that incentivize sustainability.
 
We encourage you to view the webinar, listen to the All Things Chemical^® episodes “Trends in Product Sustainability and Circularity — A Conversation with Kate Sellers” and “How Can Battery Production Be Greener? — A Conversation with Mathy Stanislaus,” read ERM’s report Circularity: From Theory to Practice, and subscribe to B&C’s informative blogs and newsletters.

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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 lives. 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 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 TSCA regulatory shifts intended to support sustainability and circularity;
   
• Transitioning chemicals from research and development (R&D) platforms into the market; and
   
• Changes to TSCA and 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.

Register Now

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Register now to join B&C for “FIFRA Hot Topics,” a complimentary webinar covering key priorities of Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) and what companies should know to avoid market delays. 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’s 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.

Speakers include:

• Lisa M. Campbell, Partner, B&C, moderator
   
• Edward Messina, Director, U.S. EPA OPP
   
• James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant, B&C

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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) New Chemicals Program will hold a webinar on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. (EST) to learn about requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the premanufacture notice (PMN) process for biofuels. As reported in our January 24, 2022, blog item, in January 2022, EPA announced an effort to streamline the review of new biobased or waste-derived chemicals that could displace current, higher greenhouse gas (GHG)-emitting transportation fuels. EPA states that to support this effort, it is offering outreach and training to stakeholders interested in biofuels. According to EPA, the bi-weekly webinar series includes reviewing TSCA requirements, outlining the streamlined approaches for risk assessments and risk management actions, and providing information on how to navigate the new chemicals PMN process. Future webinars will include:

• March 9, 2022: TSCA Inventory, nomenclature, and Bona Fide process;
• March 23, 2022: New Chemicals Program risk assessments and applications of the tools and models; and
• April 6, 2022: New Chemicals Program risk management actions, TSCA Section 5 orders, and significant new use rules (SNUR).

Registration is required for the February 23, 2022, webinar.

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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on February 4, 2022, the release of a “new and improved” Framework for the Assessment of Environmental Performance Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing under its Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program, as well as a webpage highlighting ecolabel criteria that address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). EPA states that “[t]hese actions are a key step in implementing President Biden’s Executive Order on Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs through Federal Sustainability and the accompanying Federal Sustainability Plan.
 
According to EPA, the EPP program helps federal government purchasers use private sector standards and ecolabels to identify and procure environmentally preferable products and services via the Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing. The updated Framework provides a streamlined, transparent, and consistent approach to assessing marketplace standards and ecolabels for environmental sustainability and for inclusion into the Recommendations.
 
EPA states that the updates to the Framework reflect lessons learned during the last five years of implementation and a desire to address a broader range of purchase categories with a more streamlined set of criteria. In addition, EPA updated the eligibility criteria for standards and ecolabels to support further their implementation across the federal government. EPA will use the Framework to update and expand the Recommendations to support the Biden Administration’s priorities and the Federal Sustainability Plan. The Recommendations currently include more than 40 private sector environmental performance standards and ecolabels in 25 purchase categories.
 
EPA will hold a webinar on March 2, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. (EST) to provide more information on the updated Framework and initial plans to expand the Recommendations. Stakeholders can register for the webinar and provide questions in advance.
 
EPA notes that the webpage highlighting how EPA’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels address PFAS “is an important step toward providing federal purchasers with tools to avoid procurement of products containing PFAS.” The release of the webpage is concurrent with work to identify products and purchase categories that are known to be associated with key PFAS uses, as well as outreach to ecolabel and standard organizations regarding addressing PFAS.

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Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C^®) is pleased to provide our Forecast 2022 to readers of the Biobased and Renewable Products Update, offering our best informed judgment as to the trends and key developments we expect to see in the new year. Global and national policy reforms continue to focus increasingly on a circular economy as a critical part of addressing climate change. In 2022, industry stakeholders can expect the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to announce funding opportunities for efforts focused on the development of novel biobased chemistry. Stakeholders in the biobased chemical industry should also plan to monitor activities on Capitol Hill, including the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act, passed in July 2020 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year (FY) 2021. More details on this, and expected regulatory changes of all varieties, are available in our Forecast for U.S. Federal and International Chemical Regulatory Policy 2022.

WEBINAR
“ What to Expect in Chemicals in 2022”
January 26, 2022, 12:00 p.m. EST
Register Now

B&C will be presenting a complimentary webinar, “What to Expect in Chemicals in 2022,” focusing on themes outlined in the forecast. Join Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner; Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry; and James V. Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant, for this informative and forward-looking webinar.

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