EPA Announces Three-year Chemical Reassessments Plan

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has released a work plan for all EPA-initiated reassessments of hazardous substances over the next three years.

The plan includes indicative start dates for each reassessment, reasons for reassessing a substance, and the existing hazardous substance approvals that may be affected.

All hazardous substances need EPA approval to be used in Aotearoa New Zealand, and the EPA is constantly reviewing the list of approved chemicals as new information becomes available.

The EPA reassesses approved hazardous substances if there is a risk to human health and the environment. A decision is made at the end of this process on whether to change the rules for using a substance, further restrict its use or ban a substance entirely.

The aim of the work plan is to help streamline the assessment and reassessment processes and increase transparency in this area of the EPA’s work.

It was one of several changes proposed by the EPA and included in the HSNO (Hazardous Substances Assessments) Amendment Act, which came into force on 1 November 2022.

There are 15 reassessments currently in progress or due to begin in the next three years, including for aquatic herbicides, synthetic pyrethroids used in insecticides, and domestic use of vertebrate toxic agents (used to kill or control pests such as rodents).

"We carefully reviewed the substances to be reassessed and then looked at various factors, including current use in New Zealand, new information on the substances, and previous regulatory action in New Zealand, to prioritise our reassessments," says Dr Shaun Presow, Hazardous Substances Reassessments Manager.

"Further reassessments will be added to the work plan, based on the impact they will have on regulating a substance and whether the substance poses an immediate risk to people or the environment."

The plan must be updated at least once each calendar year and is publicly available on the EPA website.

View EPA Reassessments Work Plan

Read more about the EPA reassessments process

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