Submissions open on chemical review

AUGUST 27, 2019

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is seeking submissions on a proposed review of the hazard classifications of a range of substances.

The EPA regulates pesticides, household chemicals and other dangerous goods and substances under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act. As well as evaluating and approving substances, we can reassess substances and make new decisions about whether the hazard classifications and controls (rules around their use) need to be updated.

We are proposing to update the hazard classifications of 79 substances – including single chemicals, and mixtures containing chemicals - to take into account new information such as study data, and reviews or assessments by overseas chemical regulators.

The hazardous properties of a substance are classified to determine how, when considered in combination with the likely exposure to the substance, the risks can be managed. Changes to hazard classifications may result in changes to the controls that apply to the substances.

The substances covered in the review include iodocarb (a fungicide and antimicrobial used in paints, agrichemicals, and timber treatment products) and sulfur (uses include as a component in fertilisers; in animal care and nutritional products).

This application is being processed as a modified reassessment, which means that only specific aspects of the approvals will be considered during the reassessment, and the approvals cannot be revoked (i.e. substances cannot be banned) in this process.

Suppliers, manufacturers and users of chemical products should check the application documents to see whether their products are affected by the proposed changes.

This chemical review is part of our chemical reassessments programme. This programme includes a Priority Chemicals List of 39 chemicals we believe are most in need of review in New Zealand. We are reviewing chemicals on this list. More than 700 chemicals were screened during the development of the PCL, and we continue to screen chemicals when new information becomes available.

Submissions on the chemical review close at 5pm on Wednesday 25 September 2019.

For details of the application, including the full list of substances included and submission forms, visit the consultation page on our website.

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