Hong Kong Introduces Regulation to Control Hazardous Chemicals, Implement Treaties

摘要

Beijing—Hong Kong's environmental protection authority Oct. 10 introduced a hazardous chemical control regulation designed to bring the territory into compliance with two international treaties on controlling chemicals. The regulation, called the Hazardous Chemicals Control Ordinance, will regulate the import, export, manufacture, and use of nonpesticide hazardous chemicals with an activity-based permitting and fee structure.rnIt will cover chemicals—but not pesticides—deemed harmful to human health or the environment, including those covered by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (PIC), according to an official notice of the ordinance published July 20 in the government's official journal, The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Gazette (Ordinance No. 19 02 2007).