China MEP released a draft Measures for the Registration of Environmental Administration of Hazardous chemicals for public consultations

18 Oct 2011, The Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection has released a draft Measures for the Registration of Environmental Administration of Hazardous chemicals for public consultations. The deadline for receiving comments is 18 Nov 2011.


This regulation is also one of the supporting measures of Regulations on Safe Management of Hazardous Chemicals (Decree 591) in China. Hazardous chemicals are defined as the chemicals listed in the Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals and will be further classified into two categories: general hazardous chemicals and priority hazardous chemicals for environmental management.

The regulation has set different requirements on the two categories of hazardous chemicals.


For general hazardous chemicals, manufacturers and companies who use hazardous chemicals to manufacture products shall submit an environmental administration registration to local environmental protection authorities and obtain a registration certificate, which is then valid for three years.


The following documents are required for registration:

  • Environment administration registration form including legal entity information, name, category, volume, uses, operational method, aquatic toxicity data and risk management measures;
  • Operating licenses and business license;
  • Environment emergency responses

 

For priority hazardous chemicals for environmental management, there are extra requirements:

  • Companies must prepare an environmental risk assessment report;
  • Companies must pass on-site inspection before a registration certificate is granted;
  • Companies must report the information regarding release and migration of the hazardous chemicals to environmental protection authorities before 31st Jan of each calendar year.

 

Note 1: The list of priority hazardous chemicals for environmental management will be promulgated and updated by MEP. Hazardous chemicals meeting either one of the following criteria could be added to the list.

  • chemicals that are not easily degradable, bio-accumulative and can cause serious harm to human health and living beings after long-term exposure;
  • chemicals that are extremely un-degradable and extremely bio-accumulative;
  • chemicals that can cause acute toxicity or chronic toxicity to aquatic environment;
  • chemicals that can serious hazards to human health or the environment;
  • chemicals subject to any international environment conventions;
  • chemicals liable to accidents and causing severe hazards to the ecological environment;
  • other chemicals for which risks need to be reduced;

 

Note 2:

Manufacturers of hazardous chemicals need to register hazardous chemicals with both NRCC and environment protection authorities.


On 11 Oct 2011, the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) issued the revised Measures for the Administration of Registration of Hazardous Chemicals. The regulation requires manufacturers and importers to register chemicals listed in the Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals with the National Registration Center of Chemicals (NRCC) of SAWS prior to manufacture or importation.

 

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