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Press Release
New ordinance to control hazardous chemicals comes into force on April 1
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (March 31) announced that the Hazardous Chemicals Control Ordinance (Cap. 595) would come into force in phases from tomorrow (April 1).
"Starting from tomorrow, anyone wanting to import, export, manufacture or use any scheduled chemicals subject to regulation under the ordinance will need to have a valid activity-based permit issued by EPD, which is generally valid for 12 months," a spokesman for the department said.
"For every shipment of scheduled chemical(s) entering or leaving Hong Kong, an import/export licence is also required under the consignment-based licensing system under the Import and Export Ordinance, to be issued by the EPD under Delegated Authority from the Director General of Trade and Industry," he said.
The Hazardous Chemicals Control Ordinance, which was promulgated on July 20, 2007, provided for the regulation of the import, export, manufacture and use of non-pesticide hazardous chemicals through an activity-based permit system.
Its subsidiary legislation, passed in November the same year, governs the application of permits under the ordinance and the fees payable in respect of these applications. These chemicals are covered by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.
Further details of the new ordinance are available at EPD's website at: http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/eindex.html
Ends/Monday, March 31, 2008
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