On November 28, 2023, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Ministry of Environment jointly announced that the cabinet has approved the partial amendment to the Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL).

On November 28, 2023, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced that the cabinet has approved the partial amendment to the Act on Preventing Environmental Pollution of Mercury. It aims to respond to the Fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, where new regulations for specified mercury-containing products were established. Act on Preventing Environmental Pollution of Mercury mainly aims to regulate the mining of mercury and the manufacturing of mercury-containing products to prevent environmental pollution.

The United States Congress has proposed to amend a bill, adding substances including PFAS, ortho-phthalates, bisphenols, styrene, and antimony trioxide as unsafe for use in food contact materials. As an increasing number of states have enacted their own regulations on food safety, the House of Representatives has proposed to introduce an Act cited as the “No Toxic in Food Packaging Act of 2023” on October 26. The Act aims to federally prohibit the use of certain compounds in Food Contact Materials(FCMs). Notably, there is an overlap with restrictions outlined in the previously introduced U.S. Plastic Act. After several rounds of intense debate, the Congress ultimately decided to designate the following substances deemed unsafe for use as food contact substances in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act which comes into effect two years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Recently, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment, and Water Resources (DCCEEW) in Australia proposed to include several brominated flame retardant chemicals in the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standards (IChEMS) register. Substances that may cause serious or irreversible harm to the environment but have essential industrial uses are proposed to be included in Appendix 6 of IChEMS while substances causing serious or irreversible harm to the environment and without essential industrial uses are included in Appendix 7 of IChEMS.

On November 8, 2023, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of the Environment jointly published the public consultation results for its revision to the Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL), which started on September 15. The consultation drew extensive attention and various suggestions were submitted.

On October 17, 2023, the Ministry of Employment and Labor in South Korea released the results of its compliance supervision on MSDS to date. It has investigated about 220 workplaces involved in the handling of chemicals, including those for manufacturers and importers of chemical substances, as well as toxic substance processing companies, between July 10 and August 31, 2023.

On September 28, 2023, U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an important new rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), requiring manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to provide more data for better regulation. PFASs are a large class of chemically stable organic fluorides known for their water and stain resistance, as well as good insulation. They find extensive use in various industrial sectors, including food packaging, electronics, leather and apparel, construction and household applications, firefighting, and medical supplies. However, PFASs are persistent and migrate in the environment, making them difficult to degrade. They are also called persistent chemicals and have posed a significant threat to human health and the ecological environment.

On October 4, 2023, the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) in South Korea published Notice No. 2023-459 on the revision of the Designated Toxic Substances, to strengthen the administration of toxic substances.

On August 16, 2023, Peru’s General Directorate of Environmental Health and Food Safety (DIGESA) notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of a regulation concerning paints and other coating materials. This regulation is designed to restrict the lead content in paints, ensuring the protection of public health and safety. It also outlines requirements for product labeling. Currently, the regulation is undergoing a 60-day review, comments are welcomed before October 15.

In this article, CHEMTREC provides a snapshot of the complex emergency telephone number requirements around the world and points out the challenges of complying with ever-changing supply and transport requirements for emergency response provision.