On December 23rd, 2019, Taiwan EPA announced the amendments of the Principles for Screening and Identification of Toxic Chemical Substances [1]. The Principles were updated according to the new Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Control Act[2] (TCCSCA) and will help to assess whether a substance should be identified as a toxic substance or a substance of concern.
The major amendments are summarized as below.
Renaming as the Principles for Screening and Identification of Toxic Chemical and Chemical Substances of Concern and widening the management scope;
Expanding the initial pool of substances for screening process, e.g. referring to controlled substances from other countries and regions, substances subject to international conventions, etc.;
Changing criteria for designating Class 4 toxic substances;
Adding criteria for designating substances of concern (further designated as hazardous substances of concern if possessing certain hazards);
Amending provisions that a review mechanism will be made for the regulated substances if there is new proof to verify incompliance with the current classification.
So far 340 toxic chemicals[3] have been regulated in Taiwan. The EPA continually collects and assesses data for the identification of toxic substances according to the Principles. Toxic chemical substance handlers shall apply for permits, registration documents and approval documents accordingly (See details[4]).
The substances of concern are defined as substances of public concern that pollute the environment or which are a suspected threat to human health. They will not be regulated as strictly as toxic chemical substances. The operators must submit applications for their specific handlings in advance and report operation records regularly. The release of the substances is expected before Jan 2020.
