TSCA Fee Authority Extended Through December 11
Congress has extended EPA’s authority to collect Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) user fees from industry through December 11, 2026. The extension, included in a continuing resolution signed into law on September 2, moves the expiration date from September 30 to shortly after the midterm elections. The short-term extension comes as Congress considers whether to […]
Verdant Law Earns Chambers Spotlight 2027 DC Recognition
Verdant Law is pleased to announce that the Firm has been recognized in the forthcoming 2027 DC Metropolitan Area Guide from Chambers Spotlight. Chambers Spotlight recognizes “exceptional small and mid-sized law firms” delivering “partner-level attention, deep regional knowledge and cost-effective solutions for sophisticated legal work.” Verdant Law will be included in the first-ever DC Metropolitan […]
Interagency MOU Addresses Chemical Contaminants in Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products
In a move described as advancing the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative, the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and EPA have updated a memorandum of understanding (MOU) addressing drug residues, pesticide residues, and chemical contaminants in meat, poultry, and egg products. Announced July 10, 2026, the MOU is intended […]
Oregon Packaging EPR Program Survives Constitutional Challenge
In a lengthy ruling with significant implications for similar schemes across the country, a federal judge has upheld Oregon’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for packaging, printing, and food serviceware, holding that it does not violate the U.S. Constitution’s dormant Commerce Clause or Due Process Clause. Oregon is one of seven states to have enacted […]
Ninth Circuit Upholds EPA’s 2024 New Chemicals Rule
Less than two weeks after oral argument, a Ninth Circuit panel has denied consolidated challenges to EPA’s 2024 rule governing reviews of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The ruling upholds EPA’s case-by-case evaluations of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances (PBTs) for streamlined new-chemical reviews. It also upholds the Agency’s decision not […]
EPA’s Battery-Cathode SNURs Test the Limits of “Significant New Use”
EPA has proposed two significant new use rules (SNURs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that would extend restrictions across the full lifecycle of the cathode substances in lithium-ion batteries, including recycling and reclamation. Industry stakeholders note that this is a departure from ordinary SNUR practice. The rules, published on April 24, 2026, cover […]
FDA Proposes to Make GRAS Notifications Mandatory
For decades, companies have been able to “self-affirm” that a substance is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) without notifying FDA, allowing certain substances to enter the food supply without direct agency review. That framework could soon change. In a proposed rule published August 11, 2026, FDA would require any person who introduces a substance into […]
D.C. Circuit Upholds EPA’s CERCLA Designation of PFOA and PFOS
The D.C. Circuit has upheld EPA’s designation of two PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). In Chamber of Commerce v. EPA, decided August 18, 2026, the court denied every petition challenging the designation, leaving the 2024 rule in place. What […]
OSHA’s Hazard Communication Deadline Arrives for Employers on November 20
Employers that use hazardous chemicals face a November 20, 2026 deadline to update, as necessary, their workplace labeling, written hazard communication programs, and employee training for the chemical substances they handle. The obligation flows from OSHA’s 2024 revision of the Hazard Communication Standard, 29 C.F.R. § 1910.1200, and the compliance phase for substances is now […]
FTC Extends Its “Made in USA” Enforcement Push
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on July 6, 2026, that it had sent seven warning letters to companies it says appear to have misrepresented products as “Made in the USA”—and, in one instance, as “Made in Texas”—that were imported in whole or in significant part. The letters follow an April 2026 enforcement sweep that […]