Chemical and Material Risk Management Program TSCA Market Analysis — A Conversation with Patricia Underwood, Ph.D., DABT, MBA and Richard E. Engler, Ph.D.
Release Date: 06/12/2025
From EPA to Industry: Lessons Learned That Revolutionize Food and Chemical Safety — A Conversation with Susanna W. Blair, Ph.D.
All Things Chemical
This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with , Senior Director of Regulatory and Technical Affairs for the Consumer Brands Association (CBA), which represents the interests of the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) community. Having left the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after a distinguished career as a senior scientist and policy expert, Dr. Blair is putting her science policy chops to good use at CBA. We discuss CBA’s mission, its focus on food and beverage ingredients, how Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) advocacy has impacted CBA, the Association’s focus on the Generally...
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The Surprising Science Shift That Changed His Career — A Conversation with Richard J. Fehir, Ph.D.
All Things Chemical
This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with my new colleague, , Senior Chemist/Regulatory Scientist, at B&C and its consulting affiliate, The Acta Group (Acta®), to discuss his career at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and how he is now deploying his considerable scientific chops at B&C and Acta. Rick is a bit unusual, as he has worked for both EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) and Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), which is a very opportune combination for our clients! ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL ...
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CBI Re-substantiation — A Conversation with Richard E. Engler, Ph.D. and Ryan N. Schmit
All Things Chemical
This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with , Director of Chemistry for B&C and The Acta Group (Acta®), our consulting affiliate, and , Of Counsel with B&C and Senior Regulatory Consultant with Acta, about the ever-tricky topic of confidential business information (CBI) -- what is it, how to protect it, and steps to take to avoid losing it. As listeners may know, the protection afforded certain information claimed CBI begins to sunset today, June 22, 2026, because of changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) signed into law ten years ago today with enactment of the Frank...
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Hantavirus and the EPA: A Collaborative Defense Against Viral Threats — A Conversation with Dana S. Lateulere and James V. Aidala
All Things Chemical
This week, I was pleased to welcome back to the studio , Regulatory Consultant with B&C and its consulting affiliate, The Acta Group (Acta®), and , Senior Government Affairs Consultant at B&C and Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs, at Acta, to discuss the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) significant role in combating pathogens like those spreading the highly virulent Ebola virus and Hantavirus. Both Dana and Jim have extensive expertise in how EPA deploys its authority under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to protect the...
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State PFAS Requirements — A Conversation with Carla N. Hutton
All Things Chemical
This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with my colleague, , Senior Regulatory Analyst for B&C, to discuss emerging state per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) restrictions. As many listeners appreciate, dozens of states are considering, and others have enacted, state restrictions on a wide variety of products with the goal of eventually prohibiting the sale of products that contain intentionally added PFAS. Several states have implemented regulatory provisions that require, or will require, reporting the presence of PFAS intentionally added to products, label certain products as to the...
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How Limited Data in Pet Poisoning Cases Challenges Industry and Regulators — A Conversation with Ahna G. Brutlag, DVM, MS, DABT, DABVT
All Things Chemical
This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Ahna G. Brutlag, Vice President of Veterinary Services and Senior Veterinary Toxicologist at SafetyCall International, LLC and Pet Poison Helpline®. Impressively, Dr. Brutlag is a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology (ABVT) as well as a Diplomate of the human counterpart, the American Board of Toxicology (ABT), a distinction shared by fewer than 80 people in North America. Dr. Brutlag is at the forefront of adverse effects monitoring and post-market surveillance and has navigated this complex regulatory landscape for over...
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The Case for Product Stewardship — A Conversation with Molly Blessing
All Things Chemical
This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with , Vice President of Sustainability & Product Stewardship for the Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA). We discuss a few of the fascinating and vexing challenges industry faces today in the complex world of product stewardship. We address the growing pains of conflicting state extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws, the challenges in California of labeling a product as recyclable, and making the case for a robust corporate product stewardship program. ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR...
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Agriculture, MAHA, and More: A Conversation with Alexandra Dunn and James V. Aidala
All Things Chemical
I was delighted this week to visit again with , President and Chief Executive Officer of CropLife America (CLA), and my colleague , to discuss some of the issues facing the crop protection industry. Alex’s amazing career has prepared her well for her demanding job. After graduating from law school and a brief stint in private practice, Alex served as general counsel for the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, then went on to become the Executive Director and General Counsel of the Association of Clean Water Administrators before serving as Executive Director and General Counsel of...
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The Surge in Microplastics Regulation — A Conversation with Catherina D. Narigon and L. Claire Hansen
All Things Chemical
This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with my colleagues, and , both Associates with B&C and Regulatory Consultants with The Acta Group (Acta®), B&C’s consulting affiliate, about the complex world of end-of-life product management. We discuss extended producer responsibility (EPR), recyclability labeling requirements, and plastics and microplastics regulation and liability concerns. End-of-life product management is increasingly regulated by a growing number of states, often pursuing unique management approaches that can inspire significant commercial cost and disruption. We...
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The Global Race on PFAS Regulation: What US Companies Need to Prepare For Now — A Conversation with Lindsay A. Holden, Ph.D., DABT, and Carla N. Hutton
All Things Chemical
This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with my colleagues, , Senior Regulatory Analyst for B&C, and , Senior Toxicologist/Regulatory Scientist for B&C and The Acta Group (Acta®), our consulting affiliate. We discuss the relentless pace of state per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulations. For those expecting a slowdown, think again. Perhaps in response to perceived inaction at the federal level, over half the states are engaged in PFAS notification and restriction regulations. This is unsurprising. Perhaps what is surprising is how different state restrictions are and...
info_outlineThis 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 part of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 6 risk evaluation process. DOD has a significant need for certain chemicals but admittedly has no tracking system for upstream applications of chemicals to understand the implications of EPA’s identification of high priority substances and risk evaluation of them under TSCA Section 6. Dr. Underwood and Dr. Engler discuss the recent RFI issued by DOD to provide this line of sight and they reflect upon the growing importance of supply chain transparency in DOD applications and in the private sector as a whole.
ALL MATERIALS IN THIS PODCAST ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THE MATERIALS ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES. ALL LEGAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ANSWERED DIRECTLY BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY PRACTICING IN THE APPLICABLE AREA OF LAW.
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