A flurry of asbestos-related activity in the last weeks of 2020 will require the United States Environmental Protection Agency to devote significant regulatory attention to asbestos in 2021.
Continue Reading Asbestos Reporting and Regulation to be a TSCA Focal Point for EPA in 2021
Under the Toxic Substances Control Act, EPA imposes numerous regulatory obligations on the domestic manufacturer and importer of industrial chemicals. If your company engages in either of these activities, you may have imminent reporting obligations under the TSCA Chemical Data Reporting rule.
Continue Reading Chemical Manufacturers and Importers Take Note: TSCA Chemical Data Reporting Rule Submissions on Production, Distribution, and Usage Data are due to U.S. EPA by November 30, 2020
In the age of COVID-19, demand for surface wipes, sprays and similar products is at record levels. To meet this surging demand, manufacturers have ramped up production and new entrants are pouring into this market space in unprecedented numbers.
Continue Reading Got COVID-19 “Claims”: Recent US EPA Enforcement under FIFRA Emphasizes Compliance Demands on Pesticide Product Supply Chains, especially for Products Claiming to be Effective against Coronavirus
On October 19, 2020, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will begin enforcing the state’s ban on single-use carryout plastic bags.
Continue Reading New York to Commence Enforcement of Plastic Carryout Bag Ban
On September 4, 2020, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released the final scoping documents for the next 20 chemicals it has designated as “high priority” for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Continue Reading EPA Releases Final Risk Evaluation Scope Documents for Next 20 High Priority Chemicals
A consumer advisory issued on June 1, 2020 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) clarifies which hard-surface disinfectant products may legally make claims regarding expected efficacy against the COVID-19 virus.
Continue Reading EPA Warns Against Potentially False and Misleading COVID-19 Disinfectant Claims
On April 3, 2020, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and leading retailers participated in a conference call to discuss ways to protect American consumers from fraudulent COVID-19 disinfectant product claims. As the pandemic continues to wage on, some manufacturers have started to advertise their products as effective against the virus despite a lack of scientific evidence supporting the claim. Such advertising violates federal law and potentially endangers consumer health and the environment, and could expose retailers to liability.
Continue Reading Retailers Working with EPA to Protect Consumers from Fraudulent COVID-19 Disinfectant Claims
On March 30, 2020, the United States Environment Protection Agency (EPA) issued its long-awaited draft risk evaluation for asbestos. In it, EPA preliminarily concludes that certain uses of asbestos pose unreasonable risks to human health. If those conclusions are made final, EPA will issue regulations addressing those risks in what would arguably be the most significant action the agency has taken to regulate asbestos since its 1989 ban was successfully challenged by industry groups.
Continue Reading EPA Sets Stage for Future Asbestos Regulations in New Draft Risk Evaluation
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it will provide retail companies with significant relief from its Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Fees Rule. In a formal “No Action Assurance” (NAA) letter released to the public on March 25, 2020, EPA confirmed that companies importing products containing any amount of certain common “high-priority” chemicals will not be required to share in the fees for EPA’s upcoming risk evaluations for those chemicals. EPA also announced that it will provide exemptions for companies that manufacture a high-priority chemical only as a byproduct or impurity.
Continue Reading EPA Provides Relief from Toxic Substance Control Act Risk Evaluation Fees
Innovation and developments in technology bring both opportunities and challenges for retailers, and Hunton Andrews Kurth has a sophisticated understanding of these issues and how they affect retailers. On January 23, 2020, our cross-disciplinary retail team, composed of over 200 lawyers, released our annual Retail Industry Year in Review.
Continue Reading 2019 Retail Industry Year in Review