Australia: Proposed chemical management standards for Persistent Organic Pollutants

 

The Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) has been developed by all Australian governments to efficiently and effectively manage the risks of industrial chemicals to the environment, while providing consistent requirements for businesses across Australia. The IChEMS Register records standards for the environmental management of chemicals, including risk management measures for specific industrial uses. In turn, the Australian federal government and each state and territory government will enact legislation to implement the standards in their jurisdictions.

The proposed decisions will assign the following chemicals, and mixtures and articles containing the chemicals, to Schedule 7 of the Register. This will prohibit their import, manufacture, use and export in Australia, with exceptions for unintentional trace contamination, research, environmentally sound disposal, and for articles in use prior to the date of effect of the decision.

• Octabromodiphenyl ether, heptabromodiphenyl and hexabromodiphenyl ether
• Pentabromodiphenyl ether and tetrabromodiphenyl ether
• Hexabromocyclododecane

The proposed decisions will assign the following chemicals, and mixtures and articles containing the chemicals, to Schedule 6 of the Register. This will prohibit their import, manufacture, use and export in Australia, with limited exceptions for unintentional trace contamination, research, environmentally sound disposal, and for articles in use prior to the date of effect of the decision.

Some uses considered to be essential are also excepted from the decisions. These essential uses are outlined below.

• Decabromodiphenyl ether and nonabromodiphenyl ether, except when used for the following essential uses:
  • spare parts for aircraft that were manufactured prior to 1 January 2027 (until the end of the service life of the aircraft); or
  • aircraft (until 1 January 2027,); or
  • polyurethane foam for building insulation (until 1 January 2027); or
  • electric and electronic equipment (until 1 January 2027); or
  • spare parts for motor vehicles that were manufactured prior to 2019 (until 1 January 2036); or
  • textile products (other than clothing and toys) that require anti‐flammable characteristics (until 1 January 2027).

The proposed scheduling decisions aim to:

• Enact standards for Stockholm Convention listed persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that have industrial uses and which Australia has not yet ratified.
• Facilitate ratification of the Stockholm Convention listings of the chemicals, allowing Australia to fulfil its obligations under the Convention.
• Achieve better protection of the environment through improved management of the environmental risks posed by industrial chemicals.
• Provide a nationally consistent, transparent, predictable and streamlined approach to environmental risk management of industrial chemicals for governments, industry and the community.

The proposed decisions can be found HERE.

To find out more about chemical compliance in Australia, please contact the Product Compliance Institute directly.