No images? Click here Welcome back to this week's edition of the Washington Weekly newsletter - bringing you the latest and greatest policy updates from Washington, D.C.GCCA Conducts COVID-19 Information Survey As we are now past the one-year mark since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, GCCA wants your feedback to ensure we are providing members with the most useful COVID-19 information and that is presented in a format that is most beneficial and easiest for you all to digest. Please take two minutes to complete this seven-question survey. All survey data is anonymous and only shared in aggregate. Find the survey HERE.
EPA Moves Forward with Phase Down of HydrofluorocarbonsThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing its first rule under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act of 2020 to phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators, air conditioners, and many other applications. The AIM Act directs EPA to sharply reduce production and consumption of these pollutants by using an allowance allocation and trading program. This phasedown will decrease the production and import of HFCs in the United States by 85% over the next 15 years. GCCA will continue to work with EPA to ensure that the AIM Act implementation gives industry sufficient flexibility and time to make the transition. Read more about the proposed rule HERE.
FDA Outlines Inspection and Assessment Activities During Pandemic and Provides Roadmap for Future State of OperationsOn Wednesday, May 5, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a new report titled, “Resiliency Roadmap for FDA Inspectional Oversight,” outlining the agency’s inspectional activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and its detailed plan to move toward a more consistent state of operations, including the FDA’s priorities related to this work going forward. The report further outlines the ongoing steps the agency is taking in order to resume standard operational levels of inspection activities, including how it intends to prioritize domestic and foreign inspections that were not performed during the pandemic. The plan highlights a variety of possible scenarios given the continued uncertainty of the trajectory of the ongoing pandemic. Read the full report HERE. FDA Launches Quarterly Podcast on Food SafetyOn Thursday, April 29, 2021, U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched the first in a new quarterly podcast series that focuses on the development and use of new technologies to strengthen the ability of FDA, regulated industry, and others to accelerate prevention, speed outbreak response, and more swiftly adapt to crises that could affect the human and animal food supply. Each quarter, FDA will examine a different aspect of the Core Elements in the New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint for which there are novel technological approaches and solutions. Listen to the podcast HERE. GCCA Hosts Monthly Advocacy WebinarOn Thursday, May 6, 2021, GCCA hosted our monthly Advocacy Webinar Series. This webinar focuses on President Biden’s newly unveiled American Families Plan. The American Families Plan is a $1.8 trillion proposal to expand educational and child care for families, which will be funded in part by tax increases focused on the wealthy. In addition, you will also hear about recent regulatory developments, including an update on the Emergency Temporary Standard for COVID-19, which OSHA has recently sent to the White House for final review. Watch a recap of the webinar HERE. OSHA to Host Safety and Health Virtual Summit: Building a Safer Future – Workplaces During the Pandemic (May 10-13)Registration is now open for OSHA’s Safety and Health Virtual Summit, “Building a Safer Future – Workplaces During the Pandemic” being held from May 10th through 13th, 2021. This Virtual Summit highlights several industries impacted by the pandemic and attendees will gain important knowledge to keep their businesses open while ensuring their workers’ safety at the same time. The event will launch on May 10, 2021 at 10 AM EDT with a General Session including presentations on: OSHA’s COVID National Emphasis Program; recordkeeping requirements; respiratory protection, and face masking. In addition to the General Session on May 10th, industry specific sessions will be held from May 11 to May 13th and will focus on: Healthcare; Retail and Grocery; Restaurants; Construction; and Manufacturing. Call to Action: Nominate a Cold Chain Champion Do you have a colleague who you believe performs exceptional work and deserves special recognition? We are highlighting our members and their achievements on social media. Nominate yourself, your company, or your colleague for a chance to be spotlighted as a #ColdChainChampion! Submit nominations, a short explanation, and a photo to Rachael Oury at roury@gcca.org. |