The Nickel Report

On September 18, 2025, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency will be prioritizing the review of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that are intended for use in data center projects, including the infrastructure that powers data centers, or for the manufacturing of covered components, as defined by Executive Order (EO) 14318, “Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure.” This prioritization of reviews will start with submissions received on or after September 29, 2025, and could accelerate time to market for chemistries supporting the expansion of US data center capacity. 

As recently reported on the Hunton Retail Law Resource blog, Washington State became the first-in-the-nation to pass an almost complete ban on the manufacture and sale of cookware containing lead in March 2024. Starting in January 2026, HB 1551 sets the maximum lead content level for cookware and cookware components at five (5) parts per million (ppm). The law is both broad in scope and stringent in its lead limit, making it important for entities that sell cookware or offer cookware for sale in the state of Washington to begin thinking about compliance now.