PFAS Updates USA 2023

Nhat Nguyen is a US licensed attorney with over 9 years of global regulatory compliance. He currently serves as the Chief Analyst for Enhesa Product Intelligence and leads a new department which provides further insights and solutions to Enhesa Product Intelligence's customers on regulatory compliance, technology and scientific data regarding chemical and chemical products. 

Matt Klasen serves as the Manager of EPA’s Council on PFAS, a cross-agency group of EPA policy and technical leaders created by EPA Administrator Michael Regan to develop and implement the Agency’s PFAS strategy.

Lynn L. Bergeson has earned an international reputation for her deep and expansive understanding of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the European Union Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), and especially how these regulatory programs pertain to nanotechnology, industrial biotechnology, synthetic biology, and other emerging transformative technologies. She counsels clients on a wide range of issues pertaining to product stewardship; chemical hazard, exposure, and risk assessment; risk communication; minimizing legal liability; and product lifecycle strategy.

Having served as Program Manager for Maine’s Safer Chemicals Program since its first year of implementation in 2011, Kerri Malinowski Farris offers a unique perspective on one of the few chemical regulatory programs in the country focused on collecting information about chemical use in consumer products. Kerri combines public service ranging from her time in Governor Angus King’s Office to her current role with more than 15 years in the private sector to leverage experience in project management and public relations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Maine and master’s in business administration, summa cum laude. When not working, Kerri dedicates her time to family and all that Maine has to offer.

For over 24 years Claudio Mereu has been focusing on EU Regulatory law, with an emphasis on the chemicals (REACH), pesticides, biocides and life sciences industry sectors. Claudio handles product approval and registration processes in the EU, related litigation before European and national courts, as well as ECHA’s Board of Appeal, and counsels companies on a wide range of business law matters relating to their international agreements and commercial presence in Europe. His expertise covers all aspects of product stewardship, regulations and restrictions (including notification, data protection, mutual recognition, classification & labelling, marketing and use restrictions, parallel imports, environmental liability, product recalls and data compensation negotiations, amongst others). Claudio is highly recommended as a Tier1 lawyer by Legal500 and Chambers Europe, and is a regular speaker and panelist at international conferences.

Jeff Dawson is the Science Adviser in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In this role he assists with the development and implementation of risk-based approaches for the evaluation of new and existing industrial chemicals and pesticides. He is also responsible for PFAS coordination and homeland security policy. He has 25 years of public service as a scientist in OCSPP, including holding positions as the Acting Director of OPPT’s Risk Assessment Division and the Deputy Director of OPP’s Health Effects Division.

Dr. Jaana Pietari has more than 20 years of professional and academic experience in the fate and transport of contaminants, environmental forensics, and the reconstruction of environmental releases. She has evaluated the sources and fate and transport of emerging contaminants, such as per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in addition to legacy contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), petroleum hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Dr. Pietari has also provided regulatory support for and evaluated operational risks arising from emerging contaminants, such as PFAS and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

As VP of ACC’s CPTD division, Rob is responsible for managing ACC’s more than 100 self-funded chemical product and sector groups. Rob has had a variety of roles during his time at ACC, including responsibility for state, federal and international legislative and regulatory affairs on environmental, health, safety and energy issues. Rob has provided his expertise on PFAS chemistries to numerous state, federal and international legislative and regulatory bodies to help inform public policy.

Bob DeMott is board-certified in toxicology and specializes in risk assessment and product stewardship. He has more than 30 years of experience evaluating human health and environmental risks related to chemical releases from manufacturing facilities, products in commerce, and waste disposal.

Julie Michalski helps her clients navigate complex environmental and toxic tort law, commercial litigation, and product liability issues. Her practice focuses on the interaction between science and law, particularly in the environmental, chemicals, climate, and energy spaces. She has experience investigating, litigating, and advising on issues related to historic and emerging contaminants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), copper chromium arsenate (CCA), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), among others. Julie’s 2020 publication, Microgrids for Micro-Communities: Reducing the Energy Burden in Rural Areas, received the Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award from the Burton Awards. Julie is a former Dow Sustainability Fellow at the University of Michigan, and is a current project partner for the 2023 Dow Sustainability Fellowship Program.

Liz serves as TRC’s PFAS Initiative Leader & Chemistry Director. She currently works on many different types of PFAS investigations with a specific focus on risk liability assessment/management plans, chemistry, sampling procedures, data interpretation, forensics, QA/QC, and analytical methodologies.  Liz is currently serving on the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) PFAS team, is the co-leader on the PFAS History & Use and Naming Conventions sub-team, and also a trainer for PFAS Sampling & Analysis. Liz won the 2017 and 2022 ITRC Industry Affiliates Award for her contributions to this team. 

Lori Dinkelmann is a national Subject Matter Expert (SME) on the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA), Section 313 Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Reporting Program and leads ERM’s TRI Reporting Team. Following inclusion of certain PFAS in the TRI Program under the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Ms. Dinkelmann has consulted extensively on the potential business/regulatory risks and implications associated with TRI reporting and publication of facility PFAS chemical releases.