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Japanese
Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL)
The Law Concerning
the Examination and Regulation of Manufacture etc. of Chemical Substances
(the Chemical Substances Control Law) was adopted in the 1970s in
order to control and manage appropriately the environmental risk
posed by any chemicals produced in Japan or imported.
Since
the amendment of the CSCL in May 2003 , HBCD is included for
ongoing monitoring in the future as a Type I Monitoring Chemical
Substances. Specifically, the measures below are required:
- Mandatory reporting of actual quantities of manufacturing/import
and uses.
- If a certain potential for risk is presented according
to preliminary toxicity evaluation by the government, guidance
and advice shall be given to businesses on measures for risk reduction
to minimize release into the environment.
The industry
is committed to cooperate and work with regulators in addressing
possible concerns of this substance. Ongoing studies performed by
the industry are looking into the possible chronic toxicity of this
substance.
Graph
on the new Framework for evaluation and regulation of chemical substances
in Japan under amended CSCL
Outline
of the 2003 Amendment to the CSCL
PRTR
Law
The Japanese
"Law Concerning Reporting, etc. of Releases to the Environment
of Specific Chemical Substances and Promoting Improvements in Their
Management" was enacted on July 13, 1999 . The purpose of this
Law is to promote industry voluntary improvements in the management
of specific chemical substances and to prevent any impediment of
environmental protection, by requiring businesses handling such
substances to report the release to the environment of chemical
substances and to provide technical information on the properties
and handling of such substances.
Deca-BDE is
the only BFR mentioned in the PRTR law. This means that yearly reports
have to be produced on volumes imported, volumes used and quantities
released in the environment on Deca-BDE.
TBP (2,4,6
- tribromophenol) is also listed in the PRTR law. TBP is usually
not used as a flame retardant by itself, but rather as an intermediate
for production of certain flame retardants.
Furthermore,
to avoid certain confusions, it is important to specify that the
updated Incineration section of the Waste management (1997) and
the Dioxins Law (1997) do not restrict the use of BFRs, but only
refer to B-Dioxins.
Legislation-
Other Asian Countries
There is
no existing legislation -to our knowledge- in the Asia-Pacific region
restricting the use of BFRs
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