On 21 December 2017, China's MEP revised and consulted on the Measures for the Transfer of Hazardous Waste (Revised Draft) to further assist the implementation of environmental protection law.
In 1999, China developed the regulatory underpinnings of its hazardous waste management system by publishing the Management Measures for Duplicate Forms of Hazardous Waste Transfer, aiming to keep close track of hazardous waste. To account for advances in the state of the art regulators have developed a new regulation. The following major changes have been made:
The scope of the Measures has expanded. It not only includes the application and management of hazardous waste, but further stipulates responsibilities of each party (supervisors, producers, transporters, and receivers).
Terminology has been redefined including “hazardous waste transfer” and “hazardous waste transport". "Hazardous waste transfer" is the process during which the hazardous waste is moved from producer's site to receiver's site for the purpose of storage, use or disposal of the waste. By contrast, “hazardous waste transport” refers to transporting the waste in a vehicle by waterway, railway, highway or airway.
A transfer permit is no longer needed if the hazardous waste is transferred within the provincial-level administrative region. The application process for a cross-provincial transfer permit has been refined.
MEP will establish an information management system where the producer and receivers transit electronic duplicate forms of hazardous waste transfer. Paper forms are allowed when electronic forms are unavailable.
The Measures have specified each party's legal responsibility and specified the penalty if either party breaks the law.
