When Is Regulatory Relief Viewed As Genuine?

Posted: 05/14/12 at 12:17 PM

By Bill Allmond, Vice President, Government and Public Relations

Last week the Obama administration issued an Executive Order aimed at ensuring regulatory agencies make streamlining or eliminating unnecessary regulations part of their mission. This is a continuation of an effort the White House began in January 2011 to reduce burdens on Americans and American businesses.

But actions speak louder than words. While what the president is saying is positive and welcomed by many in Washington and beyond, this administration has issued an unusually high amount of “major” new rules, those estimated by the government to cost $100 million or more annually. Furthermore, the White House’s action targeted burdens on gas stations and railroads. I don’t know about you, but I hardly think of the hardships of gas stations while paying $3.80 a gallon or the struggles of Amtrak, which is subsidized by the government.

To be fair, many Americans rely on gas stations and also use Amtrak and would appreciate...

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Looking into the Regulatory Crystal Ball: It's a Chemical Control Traffic Jam

Posted: 05/10/12 at 2:19 PM

By Justine Freisleben, Manager, Government Relations

At the end of March, I attended the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Clearing House on New Chemicals (CHNC) Meetings and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Chemical Dialogue Regulator's Forum in Singapore. These unique meetings allowed participants to hear directly from countries on the current state of their chemical control laws and how they plan to expand, implement new programs or update existing schemes.

It isn’t too often that we get to hear from regulators and ask them why they are pursuing their current approaches to chemicals management and make suggestions about countries that may be doing something more efficient. The OECD Clearing House on New Chemicals (CHNC), in particular, offers an indepth, candid discussion with regulators and industry on what works and what doesn’t. More importantly, the group develops solutions to meet the needs of regulators and industry.

During the Regulator’s Forum, participants heard Read Full Article

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Wanted: Business Partners for Government Inventions

Posted: 05/02/12 at 7:24 AM

By Mojdeh Bahar, Chair of the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer

If you’re looking for your next scientific breakthrough, you may not know that our nation’s federal laboratories can assist you.

Hundreds of federal labs around the country don’t just invent new technologies, they work hard to share their innovations with the private sector, as a way to strengthen the economy and keep America competitive. And there are dozens of inventions in the chemical sciences just waiting to be commercialized.

The labs promote this collaboration through the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC), which is holding its national meeting in Pittsburgh this week (through May 3).

Businesses typically partner with federal laboratories by licensing technologies or products that have been developed in the federal labs, or through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), to help develop and commercialize new technologies.

Just one example of a successful technology transfer: two companies have licensed and are now m...

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