- Date:2018-12-14
- Department:Chemicals Administration Ministry of Environment
The EPA’s Toxic and Chemical Substances Bureau (TCSB) has facilitated the implementation of many important measures since its establishment nearly two years ago. First, in response to food safety concerns, the Toxic Chemical Substances Control Act ( 毒性化學物質管理法 ) was amended to promote better source management. The TCSB also expanded the capacity of ChemiCloud and inspection and audit functions, coordinated controls for buildings containing asbestos, and improved toxic chemical incident prevention and response measures. In the future, the EPA will continue to work toward realizing its vision of safety management for chemical substances via effective controls to build a healthy and sustainable environment.
Amendment of the Toxic Chemical Substances Control Act
The public has long been concerned about the use of chemical substances in food products. In order to further control them at the source, the EPA proposed a draft revision that the Toxic Chemical Substances Control Act be changed to the Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Control Act ( 毒性及關注化學物質管理法).
In the revision, existing controls for Class 1~4 toxic chemical substances remain while the “concerned chemical substances” will be newly added with chapters for their own control regulations. After evaluation, harmful chemical substances will be put onthe control list along with toxic ones, thus expanding the Act’s scope and tiered management: Competent authorities will have more inspection powers; a foundation is to be set up for risk prevention and control to raise money; and consulting mechanisms will be strengthened to respond to environmental accidents. Also, the revision reviews the existing responsibilities of central and regional competent authorities, and brings in clauses for whistleblowers, witness protection, public reporting, civil litigation, and the confiscation of illegal gains. After being reviewed by a committee of the Legislative Yuan, the draft passed the third reading at the Legislative Yuan on 21 December this year.
Strengthening chemical substance source control and expanding utilization and functions of ChemiCloud
(1) Gradual chemical substance control and cooperation with local governments on assistance and inspections
At source management is implemented to expand controls in stages and groups. Announcements have been made incrementally, based on different features of chemical substances.
Fifty-seven chemical substances with potential food safety risks were split into two batches in 2017 and 2018, while 27 of them have been announced as Class 4 substances. The users are required to report flows and mention the chemicals on warning labels: “Banned for food” and “Prohibited for food and feed.” They must obtain permits for usage before operation, and are not allowed to transfer the goods without authorization in order to be prevented from entering the food chains.
Working with regional environmental bureaus for preventive consultations and visits, the EPA completed 3,102 cases as of 15 December 2018. They included 2,550 consultations and visits to suppliers of chemical raw materials, 268 joint inspections on chemical raw material suppliers selling food additives and 284 consultations during Dragon Boat Festival. In addition, 12 users were counseled as model sites, and 113 consultations and visits were conducted in the feed industry.
Under the guidance of the Food Safety Office, Executive Yuan, the Action Plan for Joint Inspection on Chemical Raw Material Suppliers Selling Food Additives, carried out by the EPA and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), has screened 268 enterprises since 1 July 2018. They were inspected for different aspects of toxic chemical substances control: Four self-management points for chemical substances; food product enterprise registration; labeling for products containing food additives; and three-guidelines for food additive management. All inspections were completely done as of 31 October 2018, and no violations of toxic chemical laws were found. Other violations against the Act Governing Food Sanitation have been found by the health authorities and were limited the time for improvement.
(2) Continual updating of the chemical substances database and additional enquiries and scheduled inspections
Between 11 December 2014 and 16 December 2018, the TCSB was in charge of 2,772 registrations of new chemical substances and 15,005 registrations of firststage existing substances (more than 27,000 existing chemical substances registered). Since 1 October 2018, all the chemical substance registrations and reviews were changed from entrusting other organizations to self-administered by TCSB.
Considering inter-ministerial management needs and trends in international chemical substances registration systems, the EPA preannounced the revision of the New Chemical Substances and Existing Substances Data Registration Regulations ( 新化學物質及既有物質資料登錄辦法) in March 2018. The revision focuses on coordinating Taiwan’s chemical substances registration system. Also, 106 widely used existing substances with high potential of harm for which data were lacking would be listed in the first stage to complete the standard registrations and announcement of the registered chemical substances for annual reports.
Since its establishment in June 2015, ChemiCloud has been coordinating and transferring data from 9 ministries and 44 systemic databases. Four main functions, including basic information inquiry, diverse screening for suspected enterprises, cross-area comparison and analysis, and warning, have been set up for the data. It strengthens interdepartmental management and exchange on chemical substances information as each department is able to access relevant information for its operations.
Promotion of asbestos measures and interdepartmental discussions on management of structures containing asbestos
(1) Promotion of asbestos use
Manufacturing, import, sale, and use of crocidolite and amosite have been banned since 26 February 1997. Besides research, testing, and education, all uses of asbestos have been banned as of 1 January 2018.
In 2016, the EPA established the Asbestos Risk Information Platform jointly with the Ministry of Labor, MOHW, Ministry of Economic Affaris, and Minstry of the Interior. A booklet on asbestos risk and prevention promotion was published in 2017 as a result of interdepartmental efforts. Then in 2018, the EPA, the Construction and Planning Agency (CPA) of MOI, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of MOL, produced a short video, “About Asbestos”. They also held three seminars promoting asbestos risk and management of asbestoscontaining construction materials in northern, central, and southern Taiwan. The aim was to strengthen education and training of asbestos prevention and protection as well as risk communication with the public.
(2) Interdepartmental coordination on asbestos removal and disposal management
The MOI’s Construction and Planning Agency (CPA) assured that all new building materials sold in Taiwan are now free of asbestos. For demolishing, clearing, and disposal of asbestos-containing building materials, the EPA has discussed with the CPA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Ministry of Labor (MOL), on systems, regulations, data sharing, and division of responsibilities. The aim is to lower the risk of exposure to asbestos.
Enhancing toxic substances and chemical substances disaster prevention and rescue capacity
(1) Lowering harm and risk of toxic chemical substance disasters
From January 2018 to the end of November, a total of 408 on-site consultations and 205 trials without prior warnings were carried out with help from regional governments to tighten toxic chemical substance risk management and disaster prevention. It was done to supervise and help enterprises improve their substance management. The EPA also assisted enterprises to form joint national chemical substance incident prevention organizations. So far 102 joint organizations have been formed, with over 4,500 enterprises participating.
Handling cross-regional joint preventions, two briefings, 76 joint prevention organization consultations and inspections, and 41 at-site operation trials and trainings for joint prevention organizations; eight trainings for "Northern, Central, and Southern District Joint Prevention and Rescue Teams for Toxic Chemical Disasters”. And a total of six sessions were held in the "Northern, Central and Southern District Toxic Chemical Disaster Prevention and Mobilization Seminar."
(2) Incorporating disaster response capacity
Between January and the end of November 2018, the EPA investigated 451 accidents in Taiwan, deployed personnel for disaster response support 44 times, and offered professional emergency consultation and suggestions 195 times. The purpose is to help relevant authorities become familiar with the joint response mechanism and incorporate the response capacity of enterprises in different regions.
Remediation technology enhancement and promotion of international exchanges
In the future, the EPA will continue to promote various measures in stages. These measures include keeping up with farmland pollution, strengthening pollution prevention and control, pursuing liable parties, establishing a soil quality database, holding an inter-ministerial discussion on homeland planning management strategies, and formulating a sustainable protection mechanism for quality soil.
The EPA stays updated on international developments in pollution investigation and remediation technology and introduces new technology suited to the characteristics of Taiwan’s pollution sites and remediation needs. Other efforts are directed toward local technology development, improving existing technology, and technological assistance. The EPA has also expanded international exchanges and cooperation, established the Asia-Pacific Regional Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Task Team, and enhanced remediation technology capacity.
Promotion of international exchanges
The EPA promotes chemical substance control with a vision of building a healthy and sustainable environment via effective controls, and hopes to strengthen chemical substance safety management using government policies and resources. Hopefully, chemical substances can be properly used to give a competitive edge in safe international trade while achieving sustainable development.
Source: EPA Major Environmental Policies, December 2018
