Regulatory Review: March 2025
Trudy Watson-Leung, Bugsrock Environmental Consulting
This digest provides an overview of some of the latest regulatory news announcements of interest to the SETAC community. Please send your suggestions to [email protected].
Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW)
The DCCEEW is seeking feedback by 11 April on the Animal Effluent Management Method, the Soil Organic Carbon Method and proposed amendments to the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting scheme. The DCCEEW is also seeking feedback, due 13 June, on a draft plan to tackle five invasive grasses in northern Australia.
Brazil Federal Government
The Energy Transition Acceleration Program for Brazil was signed into law to promote sustainability and efficiency in energy use.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Health Canada (HC)
ECCC is seeking comments by 29 April on a draft federal offset protocol to reduce manure emissions. The protocol creates incentives for farmers, livestock operation owners and other project developers to treat liquid manure to reduce methane emissions.
ECCC is seeking feedback until 7 May on the risk management approach and the proposed order to add PFAS, excluding fluoropolymers, to Part 2 of Schedule 1 to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). Fluoropolymers were excluded from the report as current evidence suggests they may have different exposure and hazard profiles compared to other PFAS.
The Government of Canada identified organic flame retardants DP and DBDPE and chlorohexidine and its salts as priorities for action under the Chemicals Management Plan and the Domestic Substances List, respectively.
The Government of Canada is seeking comments on the draft assessment and revised risk management scope for tricyclic sesquiterpenes and triterpenoids group by 30 April; boric acid, its salts and precursors by 7 May; and benzotriazoles and benzotriazoles group by 7 May.
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
ECHA is requesting feedback by 14 April on proposals to identify three substances from the automotive, cosmetic and textile industries as substances of very high concern (SVHCs).
ECHA released a recent decision on determining test methods and specifications considered acceptable to assess the migration and confirmation of chemical species, and the toxicological properties (genotoxicity, toxicokinetics and metabolism) of compounds used in the manufacture of materials that come into contact with drinking water (i.e. substances on the European positive lists).
A consultation on alternatives to ethanol in biocides, such as hand and surface disinfectants, is open until 28 April.
European Union (EU) and European Commission (EC)
The EU made the decision not to renew the pesticide flufenacet due to its potential to contaminate groundwater and its significant risks as an endocrine disruptor for humans and non-target organisms.
United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
On February 25, the Federal Register issued a notice to remove the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing regulations. The notice has a comment period that ends on 27 March. SETAC members react. On 12 March, USEPA announced the “Launch of the Biggest Deregulatory Action in U.S. History and subsequently announced 31 actions “to advance President Trump’s Day One executive orders and Power the Great American Comeback.”
World Health Organization (WHO)
The WHO released an updated global database of air quality standards for major pollutants and other airborne toxics. The interactive database includes data from approximately 140 countries and showcases air pollution regulatory efforts.
Author’s contact: [email protected]