THE UNIQUE NUMBERING FOR EACH CHEMICAL AND SYSTEMATIC MANAGEMENT OF CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION PROCESS
- AN AMENDMENT TO THE CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE MANAGEMENT ACT, THAT KEEPS TRACK OF THE CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION PROCESS BY ASSIGNING A UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER TO CHEMICALS IMPORTED OR MANUFACTURED IN KOREA, WAS PASSED AT THE CABINET MEETING
- THIS REVISED CSMA IS EXPECTED TO HELP ERADICATE THE ILLEGAL DISTRIBUTION PROCESS OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE AND REDUCE THE DANGER OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH TO A MINIMUM.
<Tracking and managing the distribution process based on the chemical identification number>
The Ministry of Environment announced that the amendment to the Chemical Substance Management Act(hereafter Whakwanbub) which strengthens the distribution management of the unique numbered chemicals imported or manufactured in Korea was passed at the cabinet meeting. This amendment contains information on tracking and managing the entire distribution of chemicals such as assigning a unique number to each chemical in the manufacturing and importing stages, and using, keeping and selling based on the given unique number.
Major Amendment Contents to Chemical Substance Management Act
- A) Identification and Report (amended Article 9 and deleted Article 20(2))
- ny person, who imports or manufactures chemicals, shall identify the information of ingredient, content, hazard classification, and etc. and report it to the minister of the Ministry of Environment.
- The import declaration of toxic substances shall be deleted because they must be identified and reported.
- The minister of the Ministry of Environment shall give a chemical identification number, a unique number to identify “chemical substance” when applying to the report.
- B) The chemical identification number must be provided when transferring chemical substances (newly established Article 9-2)
- Any person who identifies and reports chemical substances must provide each chemical identification number when transferring them to the person who does business such as selling, exporting, keeping, and storing the related chemicals.
- C) Appointment of overseas chemical manufacturer’s agent (newly established Article 9-3))
- Any person, who manufactures abroad chemicals imported into Korea, can appoint an agent to be able to substitute for the task of identifying and reporting them.
- D) Exemption of OTC impact assessment (amended Article 23(1)(2)(3))
- xemption of OTC impact assessment for the harmful chemical substance- handling facilities(Article 23(1))
- OTC impact assessment report should be submitted for change when some or all hazardous chemical-handling facilities are added or newly enacted (Article 23(2)(3))
- ※ Article 19 upward legislation , enforcement regulations of the current Chemical Substance Management Act
- E) Regular and occasional inspections of hazardous chemical-handling facilities (newly established Article 24(4))
- ince the laboratories and schools of the hazardous chemical-handling facilities are subject to facility inspection under the relevant law, the regular and occasional ones shall be excluded according to the chemical substance management act.
- *「Act on the safe environment establishment of laboratory」.「Act on the safety accident and compensation of school」
- F) Establishment and operation of chemical distribution management system (newly established Article 48(2))
- System construction for systematic management and identification of chemical substances such as identification and report, statistical survey, distribution status of import, and etc..
※ For more information, please visit the homepage of the Ministry of Environment (http://www.me.go.kr)
Sources and Inquiry : Dept. of Chemical Safety, Ministry of Environment
TEL. 044-201-6840