Chemical Engineering Trends, Intellectual Property Litigation, & Industry Predictions – IMS Insights Podcast Episode 50
What to Expect in Chemicals Policy and Regulation and on Capitol Hill in 2023
A recent study published in Nature Microbiology by researchers at the University of Cambridge revealed that certain human gut bacteria may have the capacity to bioaccumulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and...more
In July 2025, just days before trial, plaintiffs in Baker et al. v. E.I. Dupont de Nemours and Co. reached a $27 million settlement with Dupont, resolving claims related to the contamination of drinking water in Hoosick...more
After more than forty years of research, scientists finally determined the molecular formula of a chemical found in chloraminated drinking water. Using advanced analytical techniques, researchers detected and characterized...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded its risk evaluation of 1,4-Dioxane under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and issued a Notice of Availability of its Final Supplement to the Risk Evaluation and...more
A couple of months ago, our blog published an article on the exploding ubiquity of Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in the environment. TFA is a breakdown product of several hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC). It is regulated under...more
In a groundbreaking decision, a federal district court has ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate the “unreasonable risk” it found to be posed by the fluoridation of drinking water. The order came...more
Sometimes, a blog just has to be written. For those of us of a certain age, Sterling Hayden's speech as Jack D. Ripper in Dr. Strangelove concerning the Communist plot to fluoridate our water is iconic. Well, it turns out...more
The New Screening Levels - The May 2024 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional screening levels (RSLs) include more stringent screening levels for 1-methylnapthalene in residential soil, industrial soil, and...more
Several federal agencies, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Trade Commission, Department of the Interior, and Securities and Exchange Commission, have a slew of pending environmental...more
On November 29, Ohio Attorney General (AG) Dave Yost and Governor Mark DeWine announced a proposed $110 million settlement with Du Pont De Nemours and Co. and The Chemours Company over alleged chemical contamination from...more
On July 31, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it provided more than $1.3 million in funding to a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to develop nanosensor technology...more
On Tuesday, March 14, EPA released pre-publication proposed Maximum Contaminant Limits (MCLs) for six specific per- or poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also referred to colloquially as “forever chemicals” and “emerging...more
Regulation Would Apply to PFOA, PFOS, GenX, PFBS, PFHxS, and PFNA - On March 14, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new primary drinking water regulations for six of the most common per- and...more
California is an epicenter of environmental policymaking and often a harbinger of laws and regulations adopted throughout the country, and there’s no reason to think this will change in 2023. Beveridge & Diamond closely...more
On October 28, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) listed 1,4-dioxane on the Fifth Contaminant Candidate List (“CCL 5”). This is an important step to EPA’s potential regulation of 1,4-dioxane under the Safe...more
During the first half of 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continued to make progress on the actions outlined in its per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Strategic Roadmap, which contains a schedule...more
Earlier this month, Judge Lewis Liman dismissed a water system operator’s complaint against several companies that allegedly manufactured, sold, licensed, and/or distributed PFAS and PFAS-containing products at a wide variety...more
Delaware has taken the initial steps to start addressing PFAS contamination in its drinking water. Like the federal government, the First State is preparing to issue regulations to limit so-called “forever chemicals,” which...more
On December 7, 2021, the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittees on Environment and on Research and Technology held a joint hearing entitled “Forever Chemicals: Research and Development for Addressing the PFAS...more
A recent case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia serves as an illustration of the significant impact plaintiffs' legal theories will have on those targeted as a source or potential...more
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) broadly refers to the family of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These man-made chemicals were developed in the 1940’s and PFASs have been used to greaseproof,...more
On April 13, House lawmakers on Capitol Hill introduced the PFAS Action Act of 2021, a bill that would require the EPA to institute a federal drinking water standard for two specific PFAS compounds....more
There has been no shortage of recent regulatory developments concerning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in California, which are especially relevant to drinking water systems and the consumer product community. ...more
On October 14, 2020, a coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGO) petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to request that EPA require health...more
In recent months, EPA has taken significant regulatory steps to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a large group of so-called "forever chemicals" used in consumer products and industrial processes that are...more