House Kicks Off New Year With Bill To Sharpen Federal Nanotech Plan
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
The House Committee on Science and Technology will consider legislation crafted to provide strategic direction to the federal research program for nanotechnology
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The House Committee on Science and Technology will consider legislation crafted to provide strategic direction to the federal research program for nanotechnology. The National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2009 (HR 554), introduced Jan. 15, requires the agencies that participate in NNI - FDA among them - to develop a plan for environmental, health and safety research activities. The plan should include "a description of how the program will help to ensure the development of certain standards related to engineered nanoscale materials." The bill requires participating agencies to help fund the program and to set explicit short-term and long-term goals as well as to provide anticipated timeframes for achieving those objectives. Furthermore, HR 554 seeks to promote transparency, charging the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office with developing a public database for federally funded nanotech research projects. "It is important that potential downsides of [nanotechnology] be addressed from the beginning in a straightforward and open way, both to protect the public health and to allay any concerns about the validity of the results," says Science and Technology Committee Chairman Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.). "A thorough, transparent process that ensures the safety of new products will allow both the business community and the public to benefit from the development of these new technologies," the bill's sponsor adds. An identical bill passed the House last year by a 407-6 vote. The Senate version was stalled in committee (1 (Also see "Bill Takes Small Step Toward More Nanotech Research, Commercialization" - HBW Insight, 23 Jun, 2008.), p. 7). That the House has revived the legislation so early in the new session indicates that nanotech safety is high on Congress' dance card. According to David Rejeski, director of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, "the legislation reflects mounting Congressional interest in understanding potential risks in order to protect the public and to encourage safe commercial development and investment." "Lawmakers recognize both nanotechnology's enormous promise and possible problems," Rejeski asserts. Nanotechnology, as defined by the National Nanotechnology Initiative, is "the understanding and control of matter" measured in billionths of a meter, "where unique phenomena enable novel applications." Because nano-scale particles behave differently from their macro-sized counterparts, they also can pose novel risks. In the personal-care sector, nano-sized titanium dioxide is widely used in sunscreen, as it allows for enhanced protection and aesthetic advantages (2 (Also see "Report Contests “Unsubstantiated” Nanotech Concerns, Touts Nano-Sunscreen" - HBW Insight, 23 Jun, 2008.), p. 3). Nanotechnology also is being incorporated in anti-aging products where it allows for superior delivery of active ingredients, according to manufacturers (3 (Also see "Nano-Based Complexions By Plastic Surgeon Watts Goes TV Route For Launch" - HBW Insight, 26 Nov, 2007.), p. 7). The federal government has allocated approximately $1.5 billion for understanding and managing nanotech risks, according to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. Questions of how that budget is being handled and to what use the funding is being put have been raised in a number of recent reports calling for greater direction at the federal level. In December, the National Research Council criticized the federal nanotech agenda, asserting that NNI lacks an overarching research strategy and glosses over the current dearth of studies on how to manage the risks posed by nanotechnology (4 'The Rose Sheet' Dec. 15, 2008, In Brief). The NRC report recommends that NNI consider input from non-government sources - including industry, environmental and consumer advocacy groups and other stakeholders - in order to identify weaknesses in its plan. HR 554 similarly calls for industry liaison groups to help guide the NNI research agenda and facilitate the transfer of government-funded discoveries to industry so they can be commercialized. In July, Former EPA official J. Clarence Davies recommended that the Obama administration take measures to strengthen FDA's oversight of nanotechnology used in cosmetics (5 (Also see "Plan For President To Ensure Nanotech Safety Calls For Cosmetics Regulation" - HBW Insight, 28 Jul, 2008.), p. 3). - Molly Laas ([email protected]) |