Given some recent, and understandably, confusing news coverage of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ongoing actions on asbestos, we recognize we need to do a better job of explaining a complicated federal regulatory process. There has been a lot of inaccurate, and often times conflicting, news coverage of EPA’s ongoing actions on asbestos. Federal regulatory […]
As EPA continues its important work to implement the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), we wanted to highlight another milestone in that process and what ACC has been doing to help ensure successful implementation. Earlier this summer, EPA released for comment the first 10 problem formulations for risk evaluation under TSCA and its proposal […]
You may have read or heard about a recent report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that is creating concerns about the safety of food packaging, additives and plastics containers. Unfortunately, the report has created the false idea that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not doing enough to ensure the safety […]
ACC is excited to highlight our commitment to worker health and safety initiatives by promoting Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s Safe + Sound Week August 13-19, 2018. Safe + Sound Week is “a nationwide event to raise awareness and understanding of the value of safety and health programs that include management leadership, worker participation […]
Written by Bill Erney, senior director, American Chemistry Council, and Matthew J. Eggars, vice president, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Numerous national security issues dominate the attention of policymakers today – border security, cybersecurity, North Korea, and Iran easily come to mind. While these are weighty subjects, it’s also important that we don’t lose sight of […]
Nanoscale materials are extremely small pieces of matter with at least one dimension between 1-100 nanometers, or a billionth of a meter. To put the nanoscale in perspective, a human hair is approximately 80,000 nanometers wide, and a sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick. What Makes These Tiny Particles Interesting? At the nanoscale, […]
We’re almost halfway through the summer, Congress is in recess and ACC’s Political Mobilization Department is gearing up for our annual #ACCAugust push! This month our team will be working with member companies to host elected officials to highlight the vital role the chemical industry plays in their respective communities and engage in meaningful dialog […]
Recent media stories have claimed a link between formaldehyde exposure and leukemia. The truth is more than 30 peer-reviewed studies since 2010 show that formaldehyde does not cause leukemia. These irresponsible and unbalanced news reports are simply another example of a widely criticized program within EPA putting politics ahead of science. The stories base this […]
A new report from the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s (CEI) Angela Logomasini titled “EPA Transparency Rule Will Bolster Science and Improve Rulemaking” offers important perspective and critical facts about EPA’s proposed Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science rule. This important report comes at a critical point in EPA’s rulemaking process as it just held a public comment […]
Utilization of transparent, objective and modern scientific approaches to draw conclusions regarding human health risk is critical to developing sound regulatory decisions. Throughout the EPA, the application of scientific information to underpin regulatory activities has often been inconsistent and unclear; leading to concerns regarding how the Agency incorporates the best available science, how it evaluates […]
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)’s International Symposium on Energy Efficiency (#ISEE18) in Washington last month provided a prime opportunity to explore how energy efficiency can contribute to a sustainable future. Leaders from business, government and academia shared best practices in “doing more with less.” Chemistry has an essential role. For over a […]
Published by the Yale School of Forestry How is it possible to measure a nation’s environmental impact when half its goods are imported from China and other regions? Over the past decade, a consortium of European researchers has developed a database that offers new clarity on the… Read the full article at: http://environment.yale.edu/blog/2018/06/a-new-global-database-for-quantifying-the-impact-of-consumption-and-trade/
At the AIA Conference on Architecture this week, architects, designers and firms are gathering in New York City to share their perspectives, and learn from others, about how to “build a blueprint for better cities” – with a focus on health, resilience and sustainability. AIA states that “community sustainability goals are fulfilled in large part […]
The American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) Biocides Panel announced its new name today, the Center for Biocide Chemistries (CBC), at the Twelfth Antimicrobial Workshop in Arlington, Virginia. The CBC, under its former name, was established in 1986 and represents more than 50 companies that manufacture active biocide ingredients and/or formulate biocide products. Biocides, also known as […]
Through the science of chemistry, earth’s basic building blocks – like carbon, hydrogen and oxygen – are transformed into materials that have helped revolutionize society. Innovations in chemistry are helping to improve lives and protect the environment in a number of ways – by enabling clean drinking water, a safe and adequate food supply, medical […]
There was lot of excitement in the farming community with the long-awaited EPA approval of a low volatility dicamba formulation (Xtendimax®) in November 2016 and subsequent launch of three low volatility dicamba products for use over the top of dicamba-tolerant crops in 2017. These products are excellent at controlling palmer amaranth in soybean and cotton […]
You may have seen a recent conspiracy theory the Union of Concern Scientists (UCS) has been peddling in the media and on the Hill about a Jan. 31 meeting between EPA and ACC staff. Their theory goes that ACC has been bending the ear of EPA in secret to prevent a government report on a […]
Many critics of EPA’s proposed rule on “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science” would have people believe that protecting individual privacy and increased public access to research data are mutually exclusive, which is false. EPA should always strive to base its regulations on the best available science—science that is reliable and unbiased—and make the underlying research […]
It’s ambitious, yet achievable—realistic—a true “stretch goal.” This week ACC’s Plastics Division announced three new goals to guide and accelerate the capture, recycling and recovery of plastics packaging. Although we and our members have supported a variety of programs to increase plastics recycling, we want to be clear about our where we’re heading, and we […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) focus this week is on its National Safety Stand-Down, taking place from May 7-11. National Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event to encourage companies to talk about safety with their employees, especially about fall hazards and fall prevention. As you’ve read here before, the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry […]