|
Regulatory Advocacy
The United States has an enormous body of law governing environmental quality, workplace safety and other public health matters, and most of it was never enacted by the House or Senate. Instead, Congress designs broad legislative frameworks and delegates to administrative agencies the critical tasks of defining statutory terms, setting allowable exposures, administering permitting programs, conducting enforcement and assessing fines. The decisions made by federal regulatory agencies and their state counterparts can have a bottom line impact on businesses and consumers.
The Sapphire Group offers clients continuous monitoring of federal and state regulatory bodies, tailored to their particular products, production processes and emission issues. When relevant rulemakings are identified, The Sapphire Group will provide you with a comprehensive toolbox for effectively participating, including overall project management, preparation of written comments, fielding witnesses for public hearings, and participating in negotiated rulemakings.
Critical to our track record of success in regulatory
advocacy is the specialized skills and reputation of our team of
experts. These include leading practitioners in the natural sciences,
engineering, regulatory economics and other disciplines
that typically shape the outcome regulatory projects. Armed with the
credible analysis they provide, we help companies, trade associations,
and other stakeholders secure reasoned outcomes before agencies such as
EPA, CPSC, FDA, OSHA, ATSDR and their state equivalents.
Here are
a few examples of the type of work we have managed for our clients.
Water
The
Sapphire Group has assisted in the development of drinking water
standards at the federal and state level. Our work has included the
development of criteria documents and the recommendation of
concentrations that can serve as either maximum contaminant level goals
(MCLG’s) or safe levels for short term exposures such as "health
advisories."
-
Supported chlorine and chlorinated drinking water issues at federal
and international levels
-
Supported the setting of ambient water quality
standards
-
Supported regulations from disinfection of swimming
pools
Hazardous Waste
The
Sapphire Group has assessed the environmental liability related to
proposed acquisitions/financing of numerous properties.
Product
Integrity
The
Sapphire Group has evaluated hundreds of products for compliance with
California statutes including "Proposition 65."
Federal
The
Sapphire Group prepares documents of direct bearing under:
-
Safe Drinking Water Act (standards and health
advisories)
-
Clean Air Act/Clean Water Act
-
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act
-
Toxic Substances Control Act
-
Occupational Safety and Health Act
-
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
-
Food Quality Protection Act
-
Food Drug and Cosmetics Act
State and Local
-
Ambient Air Standards
-
Drinking Water Standards and Guidelines
-
California: Prop 65 & TAC limits
-
CERCLA,SARA, and state regulations
International
-
New Chemicals Directive
-
Existing Chemical Directive
-
Pesticides/Biocides Registration
-
Risk Assessments using EU guidelines
European Union
The
many countries that make up the European Union are governed by a series
of Directives, such as:
These
directives are implemented through the member states in a complex and
comprehensive fashion, thus the establishment of a manufacturing plant
or importation of a new product entails an assortment of negotiations to
ensure their safe and satisfactory use.
As
professionals, our knowledge and grasp of these substantive processes as
well as the subtleties of the review, evaluation and approval of
products and processes can be vital in obtaining expedient recognition
and approval for our clients’ products.
Other Global Regions & Non-Governmental Organizations
Central to and imperative in understanding the hazards and risks of
chemicals in the environment are organizations including the World
Health Organization (WHO), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC),
International Labor Organization, and the United Nations Environmental
Program. These non-governmental organizations, (NGO’s) provide the
scientific foundation on which risk-based decisions are made and provide
the added value of having consensus due to representation of multiple
nationalities. Our professionals have first hand experience with the
workings of these organizations in part because they are often called
upon to participate on their expert committees. This enables The
Sapphire Group to obtain pertinent information at the earliest time
possible.
RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE |
