November 30, 2023

Continuing the "View from Capitol Hill" - Your Eyes and Ears Inside the Beltway

Dear SOCMA Member,

Congress experienced significant gridlock in recent months, but was able to pass another short-term resolution to avoid a government shutdown after installing a new Speaker of the House. The House and Senate must now navigate passing 12 individual spending bills within the first month of the new year, which provides opportunities for SOCMA to act on behalf of the industry.

• Where legislation meets SOCMA: In these spending bills, SOCMA has identified the chance to revamp programs such as CFATS, MTB, and GSP. These programs are necessary for preventing domestic terrorism and alleviating tariffs which were previously reimbursed or waived.

In order for us to identify the right advocacy efforts and best align our position to SOCMA member priorities, I encourage you to reply to this email and join at least one of SOCMA’s revamped committees.

• Chemical Regulations
• Environmental
• Health and Safety
• Trade, Tariffs and Supply Chain

Each committee has a unique area of focus that is pertinent to the batch chemical manufacturing sector, such as the TSCA New & Existing Chemicals Programs and OSHA HazCom and PSM standards. By joining a committee, you'll receive the granular details on key regulatory and legislative issues, and expand your information network.

Please reach out with any questions you may have about each group's focus areas and how to get your company plugged in.

Kind regards,

Robert F. Helminiak

SOCMA Advocacy

SOCMA Meets with U.S Trade Representative to Advocate for Fair Policies to Support Growth of Specialty Chemical Manufacturers 

On November 28, SOCMA President & CEO Jennifer Abril met with Ambassador Katherine Tai, the White House official responsible for developing and promoting U.S. trade policy, to communicate the unique challenges that impact the specialty chemical industry.

SOCMA conveyed:

• Section 301 China Tariffs – SOCMA requested USTR reopen the exclusion process, specifically asking for more transparency and clearly defined criteria for being granted an exclusion. 
• Miscellaneous Tariff Bill and Generalized System of Preferences – SOCMA requested White House support for inclusion of MTB and GSP in budgeting legislation.
• Anti-Dumping Challenges – SOCMA raised awareness that the specialty chemical industry has seen an influx of overseas chemicals that are artificially priced below fair market value.

The Impact: Ambassador Tai emphasized that USTR is fully engaged in addressing trade matters and conveyed that the prevailing geopolitical climate significantly shapes the approach and execution of trade-related strategies.

Upcoming Webinars

We Have to Report What? New TSCA Reporting Rule for PFAS

December 6, 2023 | 1pm ET

EPA’s final rule imposes detailed reporting requirements on entities that have not only manufactured but imported, completed R&D work, created as a by-product, or even had PFAS impurities. Join us to identify what you can do to prepare for the upcoming reporting deadline.

Advocating for Specialties: 2024 Outlook & Issues Recap

January 18, 2024 | 11am ET

Participate in SOCMA's Annual Town Hall for insights into the regulatory and legislative landscape based on SOCMA's advocacy efforts in 2023. This webinar will provide an overview and outlook on key issues that will impact the specialty chemical industry in the upcoming year.

SOCMA Summit Highlights

From November 6-8, SOCMA held its Annual Conference & Summit in New Orleans. The summit offered a balance of networking and interactive sessions. Here's a glimpse of what you missed.
 

Toolbox Talks: Recipients of SOCMA’s Safety Recognition Program shared best practices while the participants tapped into the wealth of collective wisdom among peers to develop strategies that drive safety.

Planning for OSHA Inspections: Mini Kapoor of Hayes Boone LLC provided guidance on navigating government inspections and proactive risk assessment strategies.

Root Cause Analysis: Investigating incidents, identifying root causes, and implementing effective corrective and preventive strategies were fleshed out during this session with Brian Bourgeois of ChemDesign.

Artificial Intelligence in Chemical Manufacturing: Shaun Ensor of PB Services Limited explored the impact of AI on the chemical manufacturing landscape, and how it has the potential to revolutionize every aspect of the industry.

Hot topics in EHS: Sedra Beckman of CJB Industries shared her experience on the OSHA Heat Illness small business panel and showed the implications of the potential standard on the batch industry (see the SBAR panel findings here). Amy Wachs of Hush Blackwell explained the importance of the PFAS Reporting regulation and which PFAS will have to be reported to EPA.

If attendees would like a copy of these presentations, you may access it via the attendee portal or email us.

Contact the Legislative & Regulatory Team