On December 1, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a proposed rule to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel economy for light-duty vehicles for model years 2017--2025. Comments on the proposed rule are due by January 30, 2012. Prior to the comment close date, EPA and NHTSA will hold public hearings in Detroit (Jan 17), Philadelphia (Jan 19) and San Francisco (Jan 24). (FR Pub 12/09/11)
On December 9, 2011, the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
The Food and Drug Administration has updated its frequently asked questions document to clarify the intent behind its November 25, 2011 notice seeking expedited approval by the Office of Management and Budget of a proposed information collection related to an Economic Hardship Fee Reduction Guidance. FDA explains that the notice was meant to indicate its intent to issue the guidance for FY 2012 hardship reductions requests. It adds that this Economic Hardship Fee Reduction Guidance is separate and distinct from FDA's development of a proposed set of FY 2013 guidelines in consideration of the burden of fee amounts on small businesses.
On December 8, 2011, the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
The Natural Resources Defense Council announced that the Food and Drug Administration has committed to decide by March 31, 2012 whether the chemical Bisphenol A, or BPA, which NRDC claims causes brain damage in developing babies, infants and young children, should be banned from use in packaging for food and drinks. The agency agreed to address the use of BPA as part of a settlement reached on December 7, 2011 with NRDC.
On December 7, 2011, the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
The Food and Drug Administration is announcing a December 19, 2011 public meeting and seeking comments on proposed recommendations it has developed with the regulated community toward a draft Generic Drug User Fee Act. The draft legislation would authorize FDA to collect user fees related to human generic drugs and use them for the human generic drug application review process and associated submissions, to conduct related inspections (particularly of foreign manufacturers), and to engage in other related activities for fiscal years 2013-2017.
On December 6, 2011, the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
On December 5, 2011, the Food and Drug Administration updated its question and answer document on lipstick and lead. Though the document does not describe what has been updated, it has ten FAQs on issues such as whether FDA has limits on lead in cosmetics and possible next steps for regulation. FDA states that although it does not believe that the lead content found in its recent lipstick analyses poses a safety concern, it is evaluating whether there may be a need to recommend an upper limit for lead in lipstick in order to further protect the health and welfare of consumers. The FAQ also lists numerous lipstick brands, shades, lots, and corresponding lead levels according to 2007 EPA testing.
The Food and Drug Administration has issued its Biennial report to Congress on the Food Emergency Response Network, which is an integrated, secure laboratory system for Federal, State, and local government agencies engaged in food safety and defense activities. The report, which is required by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), states that FERN plays a critical role in food safety and defense by integrating these food-testing laboratories into a network that is able to detect, identify, respond to, and aid in the recovery from emergencies involving biological, chemical, or radiological contamination of food.