Episódios

  • This week, I welcomed to the studio Lara Hall, Senior Regulatory Scientist/Quality Assurance Specialist at B&C and our consulting affiliate, The Acta Group (Acta®), to discuss a few of the many critical issues associated with chemical testing. Chemical testing is undertaken for lots of reasons: government mandate; product stewardship; and product defense and support, to name a few. What is under-appreciated is the importance of the standards that apply under Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), the expertise needed to address novel testing approaches that deviate from GLP, how to manage requests from regulators that may not align with GLP requirements, and many other scenarios that require the expertise of highly trained and experienced testing experts. In our conversation, Lara shares with our listeners just a few of her many testing experiences that have made Lara the consummate testing expert that she is.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week I had the pleasure of speaking with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, Jim Jones, about all the amazing initiatives Jim is overseeing as the first FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods. Many of us in the chemical community know Jim and his extraordinary career at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leading both the EPA pesticides and toxics program offices, culminating his EPA career as Assistant Administrator for Toxics in the Obama Administration. Jim’s keen understanding of the administrative, chemical prioritization, risk evaluation, and risk management processes makes him uniquely well suited to lead the Human Foods office at FDA and implement successfully the new Human Foods organizational structure and achieve the office’s ambitious goals. We discuss the Human Foods’ priorities and new organizational structure, the recently released proposed systematic post-market review process on which FDA seeks comments, how Jim intends to tackle the many challenges FDA faces with regard to food chemicals, contaminants, and food additives, and much more.

    Evaluating FDA Human Foods and Tobacco Programs, Before the Subcommittee on Health Committee on Energy and Commerce, 118th Cong. (2024) (statement of Jim Jones, Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods - Food and Drug Administration).

    FDA, Discussion Paper: Development of an Enhanced Systematic Process for the FDA’s Post-Market Assessment of Chemicals in Food, (Aug. 2024).

    FDA, Development of an Enhanced Systematic Process for the Food and Drug Administration's Post-Market Assessment of Chemicals in Food; Public Meeting; Request for Comments,” 89 Fed. Reg. 65633, (Aug. 12, 2024).

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

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  • This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Linda Reinstein, President and Cofounder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), about her many years of asbestos disease awareness advocacy. Having lost her husband, Alan, to mesothelioma two decades ago, Linda set out to educate others about the diseases associated with asbestos exposure. Her story is one of grit, perseverance, and devotion.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • On June 26, 2024, B&C, along with the Environmental Law Institute and the George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health, sponsored the all-day virtual conference, TSCA Reform — Eight Years Later. The quality of the discussion, the caliber of the participants, and the timeliness of the content motivated us to repurpose the substantive sessions. B&C and ELI are pleased to co-sponsor this episode of All Things Chemical® to enable our podcast audience to listen to these sessions.

    Lynn L. Bergeson moderated Panel 4: Shaping the Agenda: Section 21 Citizens’ Petitions and Other Mechanisms Influencing Priority Setting. The panelists included Ryan J. Carra, Ph.D., Principal, Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.; Michael Connett, Partner, Siri & Glimstad LLP; Thomas Groeneveld, Senior Advisor, Existing Chemicals Risk Management Division, EPA; and Robert M. Sussman, Principal, Sussman & Associates. Citizens’ petitions under TSCA Section 21 are increasingly playing a prominent and evolving role in influencing EPA’s policy and regulatory priorities. Other mechanisms are also being used to revisit EPA’s priorities. The panel discussed the utility of these mechanisms, how they are impacting EPA’s regulatory agenda, and other opportunities for citizen engagement. The panel commented on the implications of EPA’s decision to grant a TSCA Section 21 petition to address only a single condition of use (COU) of the chemical N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD). More information on the petition to address 6PPD in tires is available in our November 3, 2023, blog item.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • On June 26, 2024, B&C, along with the Environmental Law Institute and the George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health, sponsored the all-day virtual conference, TSCA Reform — Eight Years Later. The quality of the discussion, the caliber of the participants, and the timeliness of the content motivated us to repurpose the substantive sessions. B&C and ELI are pleased to co-sponsor this episode of All Things Chemical® to enable our podcast audience to listen to these sessions.

    Samantha Liskow, Lead Counsel, Health Program, EDF, moderated Panel 3: New Chemical Review. The panelists included Shari Barash, Director, NCD, OPPT, EPA; Kyla Bennett, Ph.D., Director, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER); Kerry Coy, Product Regulation Specialist, BASF Corporation; Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, B&C; and Daniel Rosenberg, Senior Attorney, Environmental Health, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The panelists discussed the latest updates to EPA’s new chemical review process, whether challenges are being addressed and how, whether review times are being diminished, scientific integrity, and best available science.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • On June 26, 2024, B&C, along with the Environmental Law Institute and the George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health, sponsored the all-day virtual conference, TSCA Reform — Eight Years Later. The quality of the discussion, the caliber of the participants, and the timeliness of the content motivated us to repurpose the substantive sessions. B&C and ELI are pleased to co-sponsor this episode of All Things Chemical® to enable our podcast audience to listen to these sessions.

    Maria J. Doa, Ph.D., Senior Director, Chemicals Policy, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), moderated Panel 2: Risk Evaluation and the Supporting Role Sections 4 and 8 Play. The panelists included David B. Fischer, Counsel, Keller and Heckman LLP; Jeffery T. Morris, Ph.D., Director, Existing Chemicals Risk Assessment Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), EPA; Katherine O’Brien, Senior Attorney, Toxic Exposure and Health Program, Earthjustice; Judah Prero, Counsel, Arnold & Porter; and Tracey Woodruff, Ph.D., Professor and Director, University of California, San Francisco, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment. The panel considered EPA’s revised chemical prioritization and risk evaluation processes; the role and extent of peer review; and the utility and timing of Section 4 test rules. More information on EPA’s final 2024 rule amending the risk evaluation framework rule is available in our May 14, 2024, memorandum.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • On June 26, 2024, B&C, along with the Environmental Law Institute and the George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health, sponsored the all-day virtual conference, TSCA Reform — Eight Years Later. The quality of the discussion, the caliber of the participants, and the timeliness of the content motivated us to repurpose the substantive sessions. B&C and ELI are pleased to co-sponsor this episode of All Things Chemical® to enable our podcast audience to listen to these sessions.

    Karyn M. Schmidt, Senior Director, Regulatory & Scientific Affairs, American Chemistry Council, moderated Panel 1: Risk Management. The panelists included MaryAnn Hoff, Global Director Advocacy, EHS & Product Stewardship, PPG; Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz, Supervising Senior Attorney, Earthjustice; Eileen Murphy, Ph.D., Director, Existing Chemicals Risk Management Division, EPA; and Meredith Williams, Director, California Department of Toxic Substances Control. The panel discussed how EPA defines the “extent necessary” to control unreasonable risks and under what circumstances EPA will not seek to ban a chemical use, as well as EPA’s final asbestos, methylene chloride, and proposed N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) risk management rules. More information on the risk management rules is available in our March 28, 2024, memorandum (asbestos), May 17, 2024, memorandum (methylene chloride), and June 21, 2024, memorandum (NMP).

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Michael Connett, Partner with Siri & Glimstad, LLP to discuss his epic litigation representing Food & Water Watch, a non-profit consumer organization that sued EPA over the fluoridation of drinking water. This issue has a long and complicated administrative and litigation history, and Michael and his firm are actively engaged in a groundbreaking federal litigation based on a judicial appeal of a denied Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 21 citizen petition. Michael concluded a bench trial earlier this year in federal district court in the Northern District of California. The case is fascinating and much watched. We discuss the case, why TSCA citizen petitions in general are filed, Michael’s thoughts on how to prepare petitions to maximize their success (as most are denied), and other means of citizen engagement under TSCA.

    Resources:

    TSCA Section 21 Petition Trends Pre- and Post-Lautenberg

    TSCA Reform – Eight Years Later

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week I had the pleasure of speaking with W. Scott Thurlow with Thurlow Law & Public Affairs, headquartered Ottawa, Ontario, about Canada’s most recent updated draft report on the state of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The updated draft report defines PFAS to exclude fluoropolymers, an issue in which Scott and his firm are deeply engaged. We discuss the draft report, Canada’s approach to the regulation of PFAS, and Scott’s practice as a Canadian lawyer and public affairs specialist.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week, I welcomed to the studio Lara Hall, Senior Regulatory Scientist/Quality Assurance Specialist at B&C and our consulting affiliate, The Acta Group, to discuss the critical importance of understanding the role of the study sponsor. As our listeners know, chemical data -- testing results, chemical studies, exposure information, environmental fate and monitoring data, to name a few -- are the new currency in the chemical community. These data are incredibly valuable, often proprietary, and increasingly used both to support chemical applications and to rebut allegations of adverse consequences resulting from chemical exposure. How these data are developed, who serves as study sponsor, how the sponsor interacts with the study monitor, laboratory, and others are significant issues and subject to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards. Lara and I discuss GLP and the rights, duties, and obligations of all the actors involved in chemical testing and offer some tips and insights in managing this increasingly complicated space.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week, I welcomed back to the studio Karin F. Baron, Director of Hazard Communication and International Registration Strategy at B&C and our consulting affiliate, The Acta Group. And none too soon. Just when you were giving up hope in tackling the monster final Hazard Communication Standard rule issued on May 20, you realized Karin and I are devoting an entire podcast to the final rule!

    As many of you know, Karin is second to none when it comes to hazard communication, GHS, and related domestic and international hazard standards and communicating hazards to global stakeholders. There is no one better suited to discuss the final rule, what in the rule makes us happy, what remains a concern, and how best to read and digest the more than 300 pages of new hazard communication provisions.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Elissa Reaves, Ph.D., Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to discuss Dr. Reaves’ recent ascent to this position, her approach to office management, her priorities and goals for OPPT, and some interesting comparisons and contrasts with Dr. Reaves’ former stomping ground, EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP).

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Joel A. Tickner, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Public Health, University of Massachusetts Lowell, and Executive Director of Change Chemistry, to discuss green chemistry and Joel’s important work at Change Chemistry. We all appreciate that chemicals are essential to society. Green chemistry is all about engineering chemicals to diminish their adverse impacts and ensure chemicals, materials, and products are safe, efficacious, and sustainable. We discuss Joel’s pioneering work in this field, his leadership of Change Chemistry, implementation of the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development (R&D) Act of 2019, and EPA’s implementation of amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) addressing new chemical review, and much more.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week I discuss with my colleague, Mark Washko, Senior Government Affairs Advisor for B&C and The Acta Group, our consulting affiliate, the importance of government affairs engagement in the current political environment. Mark recently joined us, having spent 16 years as Head of Federal Government Affairs for BASF Corporation here in Washington, D.C. Mark has significant experience in engaging with Congressional staff and Members to ensure his clients’ interests are well served. We discuss a few specific examples of how government affairs engagement has helped, Lautenberg and his work on new chemicals, and how best to prepare for the coming November elections.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Nora von Bergen, LL.M., a lawyer with Food Lex AG, to discuss her role as an accomplished food practitioner in Bern, Switzerland. Nora and I are both officers of the International Bar Association Agriculture and Food Law Section, and I have learned more over the past several years about Nora’s practice and find it fascinating. We discuss what Nora does at Food Lex and in that context, recent comprehensive amendments to Swiss food law that went into effect recently, and a few of the challenging legal issues Nora and her colleagues are addressing.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week I discuss with my colleague, Heather Blankinship, Senior Scientist/Regulatory Consultant for B&C and The Acta Group, and Senior Manager for B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM) to discuss the value of coalition advocacy, and its essentiality in the chemical space, especially now.

    Heather manages many chemical coalitions and does a masterful job of managing issues and people. When you think about it, engaging commercial competitors to align on advocacy involving critically important regulatory, testing, and science policy issues is daunting. It involves strong communication skills, strong people skills, a keen understanding of the substantive issues, and endless patience. Heather explains how she does what she does, extolls the virtues of consortia advocacy, discusses some of BCCM’s successes, and explains why she and BCCM are as busy as they are these days.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week I discuss with my colleague, Dr. Richard E. Engler, Director of Chemistry for B&C and The Acta Group, our consulting affiliate, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) important and recently issued first final risk management rule for chrysotile asbestos. Those of us in the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) community know asbestos occupies a special place in TSCA’s checkered past, and EPA’s final rule is an important chapter in that book. Whether you care about asbestos or not, by any independent standard this final rule is a big deal for several reasons. There is no better expert than Rich Engler to discuss with me what this rule does, what it tells us about EPA’s approach to risk management under TSCA, why it is relevant to any chemical undergoing review by EPA, why in all probability neither industry nor the non-governmental organization (NGO) community is happy, and why litigation may well be in our future.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week, I was excited to sit down with Jim Aidala, Senior Government Affairs Consultant at B&C and its consulting affiliate, The Acta Group, to discuss FIFRA hot topics. For those of us who work in the complicated and ever-changing area of agricultural and biocidal products, federal and state regulation of ag products is often hard to understand and to monitor. Jim knows this space better than anyone, having worked on the Hill, led EPA’s toxics office, and now serving the private sector. We discuss tip-of-the-spear issues in 2024, including what to expect in pesticides when electing (2024 general elections and ag policy), the Endangered Species Act and the regulation of ag chemicals, Pesticide Registration Improve Act 5 (PRIA 5) issues, new policies relating to “free of” claims, and the regulation of pesticide devices. It’s a lot of real estate, but we enjoyed the ride.

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week I discuss with my colleague, Dr. Richard E. Engler, Director of Chemistry for B&C and The Acta Group, our consulting affiliate, the super-hot topic of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) reporting under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). PFAS, the class of so-called forever chemicals, are the talk of this town, and likely the talk of many jurisdictions given the intense global scrutiny all things PFAS endure. Rich and I focus our broad ranging discussion on federal TSCA reporting under TSCA Section 8(a)(7). We discuss what PFAS are reportable, what information is due and by when, why finished product importers are on the hook for reporting, why there is a 12-year look back, and the all-important topic of how much diligence is due before you conclude information is “not known or reasonably ascertainable.”

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved

  • This week I had the distinct pleasure of visiting with former Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court, the Honorable Leo E. Strine, Jr., Of Counsel, at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Judge Strine and I discuss the intense focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards and the pressures on corporate directors and managers occasioned by the Caremark decision and its progeny, among other developments. These initiatives have particular relevance to businesses many of our clients and listeners manage, as they often involve environmentally sensitive chemical products and manufacturing operations. We discuss Judge Strine’s thoughts on implementing ESG programs by building upon existing corporate compliance programs and how best to allocate compliance responsibilities between corporate boards and senior management.

    Leo E. Strine, Jr., Kirby M. Smith, and Reilly S. Steel, “Caremark and ESG, Perfect Together: A Practical Approach to Implementing an Integrated, Efficient, and Effective Caremark and EESG Strategy,” Iowa Law Review, Volume 106, Issue 4, 2021.
    https://ilr.law.uiowa.edu/print/volume-106-issue-4/caremark-and-esg-perfect-together-a-practical-approach-to-implementing-an-integrated-efficient-and-effective-caremark-and-eesg-strategy

    Leo E. Strine, Jr., “Good Corporate Citizenship We Can All Get Behind?: Toward A Principled, Non-Ideological Approach To Making Money The Right Way,” The Business Lawyer, Volume 78, Spring 2023.
    https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4296287

    ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.

    ©2024 Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. All Rights Reserved