This week, I was pleased to welcome back to the studio Jim Aidala , Senior Government Affairs Consultant at B&C and its consulting affiliate, The Acta Group (Acta®), to discuss the first six months of the Trump Administration. We have all been trying to take in and process the many Executive Orders, Presidential Directives, and other developments of all sorts coming out of the White House at a head-spinning pace, and assess their impacts on the industrial and agricultural chemical community ...
Jun 26, 2025•54 min
This week, I discuss with Patricia Underwood, Ph.D. , DABT, MBA, Chief Toxicologist, Principal Director – Chemical and Material Risk Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense, and my colleague, Richard E. Engler, Ph.D. , Director of Chemistry for B&C and The Acta Group (Acta®), our consulting affiliate, the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) recent Request for Information (RFI) on chemicals undergoing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review as ...
Jun 12, 2025•47 min
Hello, this is Lynn Bergeson. As many of our listeners may know, we here at Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. recently published a book through the American Bar Association's Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources , titled Chemical Product Law and Supply: A Guide to New TSCA . Recently, my ABA colleague Amy Edwards , a partner at Holland & Knight LLP , and I recorded a podcast to discuss the book—why we wrote it, and why chemical stakeholders of all kinds—especially business professionals...
May 29, 2025•37 min
This week, I discuss with my colleagues, Carla N. Hutton , Senior Regulatory Analyst for B&C, and Dr. Richard E. Engler , Director of Chemistry for B&C and The Acta Group (Acta®), our consulting affiliate, the ever-expanding and complicated scope of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulation in the United States. We convened a webinar on this topic in mid-May and attracted a record-breaking 1000+ registrants, suggesting to us that PFAS continues to be a topic of enormous inter...
May 15, 2025•56 min
This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Karyn Schmidt , now a principal at Squire Patton Boggs in its Public Policy practice, after spending 25 years at the American Chemistry Council (ACC). For the many members in the chemical community who know Karyn, her deep understanding of chemical law and policy will serve the firm’s clients well. We discuss Karyn’s transition to private practice, her work at ACC, and Karyn’s thoughts on what is in store for chemical stakeholders now and the foresee...
Apr 24, 2025•44 min
This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Melissa Owen , attorney/owner of Ambiente Legal, about the significant regulatory developments regarding chemical registration in Latin America, including Latin American Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) initiatives and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). We discuss Brazil REACH, which requires by law the government to have an implementing regulation issued by Ma...
Apr 10, 2025•49 min
This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Lioba Oerter, Director of Expert Services, 3E Expert Service Processing Centre (ESPC), and Karin F. Baron, Director of Hazard Communication and International Registration Strategy at B&C and our consulting affiliate, The Acta Group, about the significant changes to product classification, labeling, and packaging (CLP) in the European Union (EU). Lioba and I shared a podium recently and found we also have a shared belief that these forthcoming CLP...
Mar 27, 2025•55 min
This week, I discuss with my colleagues, Dr. Richard E. Engler , Director of Chemistry for B&C and The Acta Group (Acta®), our consulting affiliate, and Kelly N. Garson , Senior Associate for B&C and Acta, our recently released book, titled Chemical Product Law and Supply Chain Stewardship: A Guide to New TSCA, published by the American Bar Association. As listeners know, as a law firm and consulting firm, we do a lot of work under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and have gained ...
Mar 13, 2025•48 min
This week, I discuss Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) developments with my colleague, Dr. Richard E. Engler , Director of Chemistry for B&C and The Acta Group (Acta®), our consulting affiliate. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) implementation of the 2016 Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act amendments has been a dynamic, evolving, and unpredictable work in progress for almost nine years. Given the new Administration, we are at a most uncertain time b...
Feb 27, 2025•38 min
This week, I sat down with Jim Aidala , Senior Government Affairs Consultant at B&C and its consulting affiliate, The Acta Group (Acta®), to discuss the early days of the new Administration, what changes we can expect at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) generally, and key issues the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) can be expected to tackle. Jim’s unique perspective as a former Assistant Administrator of what is now called the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Preventio...
Feb 06, 2025•52 min
This week I discuss with my colleague, Mark Washko , Senior Government Affairs Advisor for B&C and The Acta Group, our consulting affiliate, the new 119th Congress and what might be key legislative actions our listeners should look for. The new Congress reflects many new members, new staffs, and a new Republican majority in both chambers. What can we expect? Will Congressional Review Act measures un-do key Biden initiatives? What might we expect in terms of a budget reconciliation package? T...
Jan 23, 2025•34 min
Recognizing it has much to do and little time to complete its tasks, the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) has been issuing final rules at a fast and furious rate since the election last month. This week, I discuss OPPT’s to-do list with my colleague, Dr. Richard E. Engler , Director of Chemistry for B&C and The Acta Group (Acta®), our consulting affiliate. In addition to multiple final Section 6 risk management rules, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also is...
Dec 19, 2024•48 min
This week, I sat down with our two government affairs experts, Jim Aidala and Mark Washko , to get their take on the very eventful past two weeks and seek their thoughts on what 2025 might look like legislatively and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administratively. With the Republican trifecta and some surprising Cabinet and EPA-designate picks, we have much to discuss. We cover the election results, the transition period between now and Inauguration Day, and then speculate on...
Nov 26, 2024•57 min
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),...
Nov 14, 2024•46 min
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 Ob...
Oct 31, 2024•49 min
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 PURPOS...
Oct 17, 2024•41 min
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 ses...
Oct 03, 2024•1 hr 6 min
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 ses...
Sep 26, 2024•1 hr 7 min
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 ses...
Sep 19, 2024•1 hr 16 min
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 ses...
Sep 12, 2024•1 hr 4 min
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) Sec...
Aug 29, 2024•53 min
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 sp...
Aug 15, 2024•43 min
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...
Aug 01, 2024•47 min
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 ...
Jul 18, 2024•47 min
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 INFORMATIONA...
Jun 20, 2024•34 min
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 di...
Jun 06, 2024•48 min
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 disc...
May 23, 2024•36 min
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 ...
May 09, 2024•32 min
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 ...
Apr 25, 2024•49 min
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...
Apr 11, 2024•44 min
