New environmental rules

WASHINGTON - The EPA announced that a proposed rule establishing a system for screening new microorganisms under Section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) will be published in the Federal Register this week. A final regulation governing the small-scale field testing of certain biotechnology produced pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) also will be published this week.

The TSCA regulations would require companies that manufacture, or researchers who develop microbial products using biotechnology subject to TSCA to obtain EPA review prior to the use of the products in commerce, or testing in the environment. The proposed regulations: ...