Government & Public Policy

One major potential headwind for the Pulp and Paper market is the constitutional reform process currently taking place in Chile, which involves the proposal of potentially disruptive ideas to the industry and increasing the risk of the availability of water to producers to carry out forest cultivation and paper production activities (Santander, Apr. 10). The country accounts for nearly 7% and 6% of hardwood and softwood pulp supplies globally, which is equivalent to 2.6mtpy and 1.8mtpy, respectively (Santander, Apr. 10). Roughly 15%, or 1.2mtpy of hardwood pulp capacity projected to reach the global market until 2025 will come from Chile (Santander, Apr. 10). The Economic Model Commission’s proposal introduces the greatest potential disruption, with propositions such as the expropriation of land without compensation, prohibition of monoculture cultivation, preservation of large portions of land, and the nationalization of land claimed by indigenous communities (Santander, Apr. 10).  

Primary Sources:

• LatAm Pulp & Paper: Thematic Report – The Constitutional Reform in Chile: Implications for Pulp Markets & CMPC. Santander, April 10, 2022 

The Bureau of Land Management will hold public meetings in early-to mid-June to seek input for the development of the Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan, which will guide the agency’s broad direction and management for public lands overseen by the Arcata and Redding field offices for the next 20 years.

The new resource management plan will guide management of natural and cultural resources on about 382,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands in Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Shasta, Butte, Tehama and Siskiyou counties. The plan will also address management of about 307,000 acres of subsurface mineral estate. The plan will replace the current Arcata and Redding field office resource management plans that have been in place for more than 20 years. Proper management of resources keeps public lands healthy and productive for current and future generations.

BLM natural and cultural resource management specialists will be available during the meetings to answer questions about development of plan, and participants can learn about opportunities to provide written comments on the issues and topics that the plan should address.

The meetings will address various resource management topics. Participants must register in advance for the virtual Zoom public meetings by visiting https://bit.ly/3PSBSh9. They will receive information about how to join the meetings. Participants can join as many meetings as they wish. Details and topic discussions are as follows:

In-person meetings:

Monday, June 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel, 1830 Hilltop Drive in Redding; and
Wednesday, June 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Redwood Lodge picnic area in Redwood Park in Arcata.
During the in-person workshops, BLM specialists will be on site to answer questions about the plan and various management topics. Information on the comment process will be available.

Virtual meetings:

Thursday, June 9, from 9 to 11 a.m. Topics include forestry, vegetation management and fire management;

Tuesday, June 14, from 9 to 11 a.m. Topics include fish and wildlife;
Wednesday, June 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. Topics include socioeconomics, environmental justice, Tribal interests, cultural resources and public health and safety; and
Thursday, June 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. Topics include recreation management, special designations, minerals management and lands and realty.
The BLM will be monitoring the status of COVID-19 cases and could cancel the in-person meetings if conditions warrant. Detailed information on the BLM’s planning process, including relevant documents, is available on the BLM’s ePlanning website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2012803/510.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

For more information contact:
Kim Kleine
(202) 682-4856
kkleine@ustires.org

The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) announced today that it supports the proposed rulemaking released by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to designate 6PPD in automobile tires as a priority product for review under the state’s Safer Consumer Products green chemistry program.

USTMA and its member companies recommended adding 6PPD to the Priority Products Work Plan immediately following the December 2020 Tian et al. study that suggested a link between Coho salmon mortality and a transformation product of 6PPD from tire and road wear particles (TRWP) called 6PPD-Quinone. Tire manufacturers have taken seriously the Tian et al. study and more recent scientific findings which indicate that 6PPD-Quinone, a previously unknown transformation product of 6PPD – an essential antioxidant and antiozonant used in tires – has contributed to the mortality of coho salmon and potentially poses risks to other aquatic species in the Pacific Northwest.

“USTMA supports the decision by the California DTSC to list 6PPD as a priority product under the state’s green chemistry program,” said USTMA President and CEO Anne Forristall Luke. “USTMA members are committed to producing the safest, most durable and most efficient tires possible. This is why we made the request to the DTSC to list 6PPD as a priority product a few weeks after the release of the Tian et al. study – and why we have been working with the agency and many other stakeholders ever since. We are fully committed to continuing to work with the DTSC team to find a viable alternative.”

Since the release of the Tian et al. study 18 months ago, USTMA has worked with researchers, regulators and legislators to more fully understand the implications of these findings and to seek solutions, including: filling research gaps around 6PPD-Quinone; advocating for a 6PPD alternatives analysis in California; and supporting mitigation efforts to treat stormwater runoff.

The tire industry uses 6PPD, an antioxidant and antiozonant that prevents tires from cracking and failing to help tires resist degradation, which is vital for passenger safety. Any viable alternative to 6PPD in tires must provide the same critical protection as 6PPD to ensure driver and passenger safety. Importantly, any potential substitute must also avoid any regrettable environmental impacts of its own.

“We are pleased that there have been many advancements in the body of research on 6PPD-Quinone,” said Sarah Amick, Vice President of EHS&S and Senior Counsel for USTMA. “However, many data gaps still remain, so we remain committed to collaborating with researchers, regulators and stakeholders to fill these knowledge gaps and help find a viable alternative to 6PPD that does not compromise tire performance or driver safety and also ensures environmental safety.”

Additionally, recognizing the challenges associated with the study of TRWP – a source of 6PPD-Quinone in the environment – USTMA announced in November 2021 it is producing cryogenically milled tire tread (CMTT) and making samples available to researchers to advance ongoing studies.

As global leaders in manufacturing, USTMA member companies embrace a shared responsibility of helping to achieve a more sustainable society. Tire manufacturers are dedicated to understanding and reducing the environmental impact of their products. USTMA members — both individually and through partnerships — are working to incorporate more renewable and recycled materials into tires, enhancing biodiversity and reducing dependence on non-renewable feedstocks.

While continued research is underway, USTMA supports the increased implementation of bioretention technologies, such as raingardens and bioswales, which have been proven to reduce the impact of 6PPD-Quione on coho salmon. 

More information about USTMA’s actions on 6PPD in tire manufacturing is available here.

The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association is the national trade association for tire manufacturers that produce tires in the U.S. Our 12 member companies operate 57 tire-related manufacturing facilities in 17 states and generate more than $27 billion in annual sales. We directly support more than a quarter million U.S. jobs – totaling almost $20 billion in wages. USTMA advances a sustainable tire manufacturing industry through thought leadership and a commitment to science‐based public policy advocacy. Our member company tires make mobility possible. USTMA members are committed to continuous improvement of the performance of our products, worker and consumer safety and environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.USTires.org. 

Some pharmacies participated in the standing order but did not have any naloxone available on the shelf.

Despite the ability of any Michigan pharmacy to dispense medication to combat opioid overdose without writing prescriptions, slightly more than half of pharmacies in the state offer the drug in such a way.

The standing order for naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, was passed by the Michigan legislature in 2016. This allows any pharmacist to dispense the overdose reversal drug without a prescription – allowing friends, family members or other individuals to obtain naloxone for emergency use.

Researchers at Michigan Medicine conducted a survey of 662 standing order pharmacies for the paper published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. Findings reveal that just 54% of Michigan pharmacies offer naloxone without requiring a prescription.

“Our county maps reveal that areas with higher fatality rates had fewer pharmacies participating in the standing order or lacked any nearby pharmacy access,” said Chin Hwa (Gina) Dahlem, Ph.D., FNP-C, FAANP, lead author of the paper, nurse practitioner and a researcher at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. “Naloxone is a life-saving medication for a person experiencing an opioid overdose. We need to continue our efforts to expand naloxone access through pharmacies, hospitals and community naloxone distribution programs to prevent overdose deaths.”

Among pharmacies participating in the standing order in eight southeastern Michigan counties, 85% percent actually had naloxone available and 82% had ever dispensed it.

“It’s not just enough to participate in the standing order, but you also have to have naloxone available on the shelves in those moments when somebody asks for it,” said Keith Kocher, M.D., M.P.H., senior author of the paper and an emergency physician at University of Michigan Health. “The more pharmacies make naloxone available and have it on the shelves, the more likely we can get it into the hands of individuals at risk for an overdose to reduce harm and death from opioids.”

Additional authors include Matthew Myers, M.P.H., Jason Goldstick, Ph.D., James G. Stevenson, PharmD, FASHP, FFIP, Joan Kellenberg, M.S., M.P.H., Chad Brummet, M.D., all of Michigan Medicine, George Gray, B. S, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Sarah Rockhill, M.P.H., Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Aaron Dora-Laskey, M.D., Medical College of Wisconsin

Paper Cited: “Factors associated with naloxone availability and dispensing through Michigan’s pharmacy standing order,” American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2022.2047714

By Victor Crawford, Chief Executive Officer, Pharmaceutical Segment

I am proud to announce that Cardinal Health has allocated more than 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to our network of thousands of community pharmacists. These vaccines provide the safest way of building protection against becoming seriously ill or hospitalized with the virus. COVID-19 vaccines are now available to everyone living in the U.S. age 5 and older, at no cost.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 66% percent of Americans are now fully vaccinated. Pharmacies – typically patients’ most accessible and most trusted health care provider – have administered 40% of those vaccines.

The pandemic has underscored the critical role that pharmacists play in their community’s health. From the beginning, pharmacists have served on the frontlines, pivoting their businesses to provide diagnostic testing, point of care services, vaccines and more. In many cases, they have helped their communities to overcome vaccine hesitancy.

At Cardinal Health, we are committed to providing pharmacists with support and innovative solutions, so that they can continue to do their imperative work:

• We created our MyScheduling tool to help pharmacy staff manage clinical work by allowing the staff and/or the patient to schedule vaccine appointments. Patients can choose the time that works best for them and MyScheduling will send automated appointment reminders to the patient.
• We’re helping pharmacists expand telepharmacy services. With technology supported by Cardinal Health’s TelePharm team, a single pharmacist can supervise and review prescriptions remotely across multiple locations and conduct counseling virtually. Telepharmacy services can establish and restore pharmacy access in “pharmacy deserts” – those areas where there is no physical pharmacy within 10 miles.
• Last year, we joined the Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition, whose mission is to expand access to pharmacists’ services. The coalition agreed on draft legislative language that would reimburse pharmacists for their services under Medicare Part B beyond the public health emergency, which has included services related to administering COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. 
• We support the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act (H.R 7213), introduced earlier this year. This bill would create a direct reimbursement mechanism to pay pharmacists for the pandemic-related health services they provide older Americans. Passage and enactment of this bill would grant pharmacists “provider status” for treating  Medicare beneficiaries. The Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition is working to advance the bill in the House and achieve introduction of a companion bill in the Senate. 

We know that our communities need pharmacists today more than ever, because the pandemic is not over. As the New York Times recently reported, “The number of patients with coronavirus in American hospitals surpassed 21,000 over the past week – well below the peak levels seen in prior surges, but still a 23% rise from two weeks ago.” Yet, as the country nears a million lives lost to COVID-19, nearly a quarter of U.S. adults and children remain unvaccinated.

So, community pharmacists remain on the frontlines.

On behalf of all of us at Cardinal Health, I want to say thank you to these pharmacists. We recognize all that you’ve done since the pandemic began, tirelessly working long hours, managing increasing caseloads, educating your communities, and making so many personal sacrifices as you continue to play a key role in the health and well-being of Americans across the country. We are deeply grateful, and we are proud to support you.   

Victor Crawford is the CEO of Cardinal Health’s Pharmaceutical segment, which distributes brand and generic pharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical and over-the-counter healthcare and consumer products. In addition, the Pharmaceutical segment provides services to support the development of these products to pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers across the country. Crawford also serves on the board of directors of several publicly traded companies and nonprofit organizations, including The Hershey Company, Thomas Jefferson University, the National Urban League, the Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) and Pelotonia.

The University of Maine’s liaison to the forest products industry testified before Congress on Wednesday about university-led programs and partnerships to develop the workforce and innovations necessary to maintain Maine’s leading role in the global forest economy and support rural jobs and opportunity. 

Shane O’Neill, the forestry industry business development manager at UMaine, was a witness for the U.S. House Agriculture Committee’s Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee as part of a hearing on supporting careers in conservation. His testimony is here and the hearing can be viewed here.

O’Neill explained how changing markets and climate, and advances in science, engineering and technology have led to new ways to manage our forests and add value to its products, but require an increasingly educated workforce. 

“Accelerating innovation in forest products and training a skilled workforce that meets the current and emerging needs of these new products and practices is key to meeting the increasing global demand for low-carbon materials, chemicals and fuels that can come from forests,” O’Neill testified. 

Maine’s own Rep. Chellie Pingree serves on the subcommittee and participated in the hearing. 

She lauded the FOR/Maine initiative that includes UMaine and industry, community, government and other partners for working together since 2016 to reposition the state’s forest economy, and a recent workforce analysis prepared for FOR/Maine by O’Neill and colleagues from UMaine and the University of Southern Maine. That analysis projected 7,600 positions in the sector would open over the next 15 years, and recommended specific strategies to meet that employer demand including an education and awareness campaign showcasing career opportunities in the modern forest economy, outreach to middle and high school students leveraging the younger generation’s interest in sustainability, and attracting those seeking to relocate after military service.

“With extensive expertise, broad relationships, statewide reach, and research and development capacity across the forest economy and beyond, the R1 University of Maine is critical to this collaboration, providing knowledge-based information and innovations to deliver on FOR/Maine’s strategic objectives. And, as the largest  generator of graduates in the state, we can most impact the size and skill of the workforce for this sector,” O’Neill also told the subcommittee. 

“Our work, and the workforce we are developing, has never been more essential to Maine and our nation’s ability to sustainably manage and utilize our forest resources, mitigate forest fire and invasive risks, sequester carbon, improve clean air, water, and habitat, and protect the economic foundation and identity of many rural communities.”

Contact: Ashley Forbes, ashley.forbes@maine.edu