- Department:Evaluation Management Division
The Ministry of Environment today issued a draft amendment proposing the inclusion of Methoxychlor, Dechlorane Plus and 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-di-tert-pentylphenol as newly controlled toxic chemical substances, along with the establishment of their regulated concentrations and operational management measures. Meanwhile, regulations governing the management of mercury and perchloroethylene have been strengthened to enhance the overall national management of toxic chemical substances.
The Ministry of Environment noted that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are characterized by persistence, long-range environment transport, and bioaccumulations, posing potential risk to living organisms. In response, the United Nations adopted the Stockholm Convention to eliminate, restrict, and reduce POPs in order to protect human health and the environment. This pre-announcement aligns domestic controls with the Stockholm Convention’s recent listing of Methoxychlor, Dechlorane Plus, and UV-328.
Methoxychlor is proposed to be designated as a Class 1, Class 3, and Class 4 toxic chemical substance due to its potential for bioconcentration, resistance to degradation, and acute ecotoxicity. Dechlorane Plus which also demonstrates potential for bioconcentration and resistance to degradation, is proposed as a Class 1 and Class 4 toxic chemical substance with a regulated concentration of 0.1%. In accordance with the Stockholm Convention, the use of Dechlorane Plus would be fully prohibited except for research, testing, and educational purposes. Furthermore, UV-328 is proposed to be designated as a Class 1 and Class 4 toxic chemical substance based on its potential for bioconcentration and resistance to degradation. The draft adopts “total concentration” as its regulatory threshold and specifies permissible uses. The threshold provisions have been developed with reference to the European Union’s (EU’s) Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulation to ensure consistency with international measures.
Mercury has been designated as a Class 1 toxic chemical substance in 1991. In response to the management trends under the UN Minamata Convention on Mercury, amendments have been made to update the prohibited measures and permitted uses .Perchloroethylene, designated as a Class 1 and Class 2 toxic chemical substance in 1997, has now been added to the list of prohibited substances for use in cleaning agents, taking into account the U.S. final risk management rule and domestic practices. However, substances already registered or approved for use in cleaning agents, may continue to be used until the completion of circulation within dry-cleaning machine tanks.
The Ministry of Environment emphasized that, in view of the newly added toxic chemical substance regulations and the current domestic conditions, which involve the permit or approval applications, labeling, transportation, installation of detection and alarm equipment, the employment of professional technical management personnel, and the assignment of emergency responders, existing operators will be granted a grace period of 1 to 1.5 years to comply. The Ministry also encourages operators to identify alternative substances to reduce potential impacts on the environment and public health.
For detailed information related to this -announcement, please refer to the Ministry of Environment’s News section for downloadable attachments (https://enews.moenv.gov.tw/), or visit the Executive Yuan Gazette Online (https://gazette.nat.gov.tw/egFront/) 3 days after the announcement date to download the relevant documents. The Ministry also welcome all sectors to provide opinions or suggestions for amendments to the Ministry of Environment within 30 days of the publication of the announcements for consideration (Email：yilin.yu@moenv.gov.tw)
