“TSCA Reform: One Year Later” Conference Elicits Frank and Productive Discussion from Government, NGO, and Industry Speakers

On June 27, 2017, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (GWU) held a day-long “TSCA Reform: One Year Later” conference at the GWU campus exploring the federal government’s implementation of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg) on the first anniversary of its enactment. Lautenberg significantly amended the Toxic Substances Control Act, and holds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to a robust number of rulemaking and related implementation tasks.

Speakers, including the Hon. John Shimkus (R-IL), the Hon. Tom Udall (D-NM), Lynn L. Bergeson and Charles M. Auer of B&C, Wendy Cleland-Hamnett, Nancy B. Beck, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., and Jeffery Morris, Ph.D. of EPA, Richard A. Denison of EDF, Robert Sussman, representing Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, and others, discussed key components of the bipartisan legislation and provided an overview of the current state of implementation. Bonnie Lautenberg, the late Senator Frank R. Lautenberg’s widow and key continuator to the law’s passage, provided a fascinating luncheon address that provided a behind-the-scenes narrative of how the law was passed. Afternoon breakout sessions invited all participants to discuss ongoing law and policy issues.

A recording of the conference is available online, with the following sessions:

■ Welcome and Overview of Forum with Lynn R. Goldman, M.D., M.S., M.P.H., Michael and Lori Milken Dean, Milken Institute School of Public Health; Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health

■ Morning Keynote Discussion with Hon. John Shimkus, U.S. Representative, 15th District of Illinois

■ Plenary Panel: TSCA Implementation: Where Are We?

➢ Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner, B&C

➢ Wendy Cleland-Hamnett, Acting Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention

➢ Richard A. Denison, Ph.D., Lead Senior Scientist, EDF

➢ James J. Jones, Former Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention; Executive Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Industry Relations, Consumer Specialty Products Association (effective July 5, 2017)

➢ Dimitrios J. Karakitsos, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP

➢ Ernie Rosenberg, Former CEO, American Cleaning Institute®

■ Luncheon Keynote with Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg

■ Guided Discussion: Science Policy Issues

➢ Nancy B. Beck, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention

➢ Richard A. Denison, Ph.D., Lead Senior Scientist, EDF

➢ Bob Diderich, Head of Division, Environment, Health & Safety, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

➢ Lynn R. Goldman, M.D., M.S., M.P.H., Michael and Lori Milken Dean, Milken Institute School of Public Health; Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health

➢ Jacqueline Patterson, M.En., Senior Research Scientist, Risk Science Center (formerly TERA Center), University of Cincinnati

■ Afternoon Keynote Discussion with Hon. Tom Udall, U.S. Senator, New Mexico

■ Guided Discussion: Regulatory & Policy Issues

➢ Charles M. Auer, Senior Policy and Regulatory Advisor, B&C

➢ Lawrence E. Culleen, Partner, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP

➢ Benjamin E. Dunham, Senior Policy Advisor, Holland & Knight LLP

➢ Jeffery Morris, Ph.D., Director, EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics

➢ Dan Newton, Senior Manager, Government Relations, SOCMA

➢ Robert Sussman, Counsel, Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families

■ Concluding Remarks and Adjournment with Scott Fulton, President, Environmental Law Institute

Visit the ELI event website for more details and content from the conference. Visit B&C’s TSCA Reform News & Information site and TSCAblog™ for the latest developments regarding TSCA implementation.