By Porter Wright on This article was authored and contributed by Terrence F. Smith, Director of Government Affairs, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce. The report of the Nanomaterials Advisory Committee was on the agenda at the July 28 meeting of the Cambridge City Council. The Council’s actions bode well for continued manufacturing, processing, research and development using nanotechnology in Cambridge. The … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on As Mike Heintz reported earlier today, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies issued a report yesterday providing some guidance regarding where it believes the next administration should start with the issue of nanotechnology regulation next January. J. Clarence Davies, "Nanotechnology Oversight: An Agenda for the New Administration," Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on At least one California legislator is said to be considering statewide legislation to "monitor and regulate" nanotechnology in the state. Assemblyman Mike Feuer chaired a meeting on April 23 at UCLA to discuss options for developing nanotech regulation without impairing its growth. Assemblyman Feuer is one of the leading voices in California concerning nanotechnology regulation.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Earlier this week the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies and the Grocery Manufacturers Association released the report, Assuring the Safety of Nanomaterials in Food Packaging. The report addresses the growing concern of using nanomaterials in food packaging and related applications.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) recently published a short pamphlet intended to steer "nano firms" down the path towards commercial prosperity. D. Lekas, "How to Reduce Your Firm’s Risk and Increase Revenues Related to Nanotechnology," Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, PEN Brief No. … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Yesterday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had a front-page story on a new study released by the University of Wisconsin’s Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center concerning emerging state regulation of nanomaterials. The paper, Bottom-Up Risk Regulation? How Nanotechnology Risk Knowledge Gaps Challenge Federal and State Environmental Agencies, is to appear in the next issue of Environmental Management, … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on One of my "go to" nano news sources, Nanowerk, posted an interesting story last week concerning the competing standards that are emerging with regards to the technical side of nanotechnology. The article outlines the various scientific standards that are developing, and the lack of any one overarching, or governing, standard.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Rumors from "across the pond" indicate that a forthcoming official recommendation to the European Union will be that nano-specific regulations are not needed in the EU.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on This morning’s New York Times features an editorial discussing Peter Barton Hutt’s before the House subcommittee responsible for FDA oversight. Mr. Hutt warned that the FDA was "barely hanging on by its fingertips;" others testifying before the subcommittee suggested the agency lacked funds and staffing to do its job: In a hearing before a House … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Back in October, we reported on a $314,000 grant three Arizona State University professors received from DOE to study nanotechnology regulation. It seems that grant has already begun to bear fruit, as Nanowerk reports one of the grant recipients – law professor Doug Sylvester – will be teaching a two-hour interdisciplinary class in the Spring … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Environmental Science & Technology recently released an editorial discussing nanotechnology safety issues and, more importantly, the recent debate over whether EPA should regulate nanoscale materials as new chemicals under TSCA. The editorial succinctly sets forth EPA’s position, as expressed by Jim Willis, EPA’s Chemical Control Division Director, on the TSCA issue this way: In an EPA document, … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Andrew Maynard of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson Institute testified on October 31st before the House Science Committee. PEN’s press release is here and the full text of Maynard’s remarks are here. In his testimony, Maynard advocated six steps to improve nanotechnology safety and criticized what he believed was a lack … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on With fall, and college football (sorry, couldn’t resist), firmly upon us, it seemed appropriate to tell you about two developments at the collegiate level regarding nanotechnology regulation. The developments are on opposite sides of the country, further showing the widespread interest in nanotechnology.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on SmallTimes’s September/October print edition just recently hit newsstands. Featured in that magazine is our own John Monica’s article entitled "Ramping up the EPA’s Nanoscale Material Stewardship Program." (Co-blogger Michael Heintz has previously blogged about this program here and here.) The issue also contains a great article by Lynn Bergeson — "The EPA’s Toxic Substances Control Act: … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The Nanoethics Group recently released its report "Nanotechnology Bound: Evaluating the Case for More Regulation," to attempt to summarize the arguments for more regulations to control the development and use of nanotechnology. The report is found in the most recent issue of the journal NanoEthics. The article does a good job in presenting the arguments … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on According to this recent article in the Jerusalem Post, the European Union is the top public financier of nanotechnology: With €1.4 billion allocated to 550 projects in the field of nanosciences and nanotechnology, the EU’s 6th Research Framework Program accounts for one-third of total public funding for nanotechnology and is the world’s largest single funding … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on In response to the Samsung Washing Machine "nanosilver" controversy last year, EPA indicated it would issue a federal notice concerning how it intends to treat silver ion generators under FIFRA. Many urged EPA to use this opportunity to issue a broad proclamation that all products containing nanoscale silver would be required to be registered as pesticides … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Small Times is reporting that the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office at NNI is requesting public comment, until September 17, 2007, on its proposed "Prioritization of Environmental, Health and Safety Research Needs for Engineered Nanoscale Materials: An Interim Document For Public Comment." According to the Small Times article, "The comment period is an opportunity for public … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on By Tim Cahill: Yesterday the FDA’s Nanotechnology Task Force released its report on the scientific and regulatory challenges related to the use of nanotechnology in products regulated by the FDA. As reported in our July 10, 2007 post, the Task Force’s report did not call for additional FDA regulatory authority in this area. The Task … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on By: Tim Cahill and Michael Heintz: FDA Week reported on July 6, 2007 that the FDA’s Internal Nanotechnology Task Force is close to issuing its first report and is going to recommend that the agency not create "regulatory policies" for nanomaterials. Instead, the task force is likely recommending that FDA create guidelines for "best practices." The Task Force … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on One downside to our focus on the safety of nanomaterials is that it can cause us to lose focus on the potential upsides of nanotechnology in the environmental, health and safety arena. CORDIS is reporting on a study funded by the European Parliament’s Scientific Technology Options Assessment ("STOA") committee which looked into whether nanomaterials could … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The Woodrow Wilson Center released a study entitled "EPA and Nanotechnology: Oversight for the 21st Century," authored by a former high-level EPA administrator, J. Clarence Davies. Mr. Davies argues that EPA oversight and regulation of nanotechnology is "urgently" needed. The Wilson Center has the full text of the report available here. The report is summarized in this Science Daily … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on By Tim Cahill: The April 20, 2007 edition of FDA Week reports that the former deputy commissioner in the FDA’s policy office, Michael Taylor, repeated his call for Congress to grant FDA enhanced regulatory authority with respect to products that utilize nanotechnology, particularly cosmetics, dietary supplements, and foods. Mr. Taylor believes that FDA should have … Continue Reading
