Winston’s Environmental Law Update

On February 14, 2019, EPA announced a new action plan to address a group of emerging contaminants known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs). The action plan calls for regulatory action, research programs, risk communication tools, and enforcement measures.

U.S. EPA has extended the comment periods for two of the agency’s proposed trichloroethylene (TCE) rulemakings.

The U.S. EPA recently announced the first ten chemicals it will evaluate for potential risks to human health and the environment under the newly amended Toxic Substances and Control Act (TSCA).

On September 2, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule banning the sale of over-the-counter consumer antiseptic wash products containing certain active ingredients. After September 6, 2017, companies will no longer be able to market antibacterial washes with these ingredients because, according to FDA, manufacturers failed to demonstrate that the ingredients are both safe for long-term daily use and more effective that non-antibacterial soap and water in preventing illness and the spread of certain infections. One of the 19 banned active chemicals is triclosan, an antibacterial and antifungal agent commonly found in soaps.

On June 22, 2016, President Obama signed the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act into law. The bipartisan act represents the first major overhaul of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) since its enactment in 1976.