Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security
Territorians are being invited to provide comment on the way Australia manages industrial chemicals.
The invitation follows the introduction of the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Bill (ICEMR Bill) 2020 to the Australian parliament on 3 December 2020.
The Bill will establish the National Standard for Environmental Risk Management of Industrial Chemicals.
This national standard will regulate chemicals during their lifecycle, so they're safely introduced, used, handled and disposed of in ways that won't pollute the environment.
This forms the basis for stronger and more consistent measures to regulate chemicals that build on existing jurisdictional laws.
The Bill also gives effect to stronger links between the assessment and management of environmental risks of chemicals.
Chemicals will be categorised and listed on a public register ranging from low to very high concern, along with their risk management measures.
The proposed regulatory framework will also:
· Reduce impacts on the environment and limit people's exposure to industrial chemicals
· Establish a cost recovery model to implement the national framework to make, vary and revoke scheduling decisions for industrial chemicals
The introduction of the ICEMR is a positive step towards ensuring that any risks that chemicals pose to the environment are better managed so that our land, air and waterways are protected.
On 10 December 2020 the Senate referred the ICEMR Bill to the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 11 March 2021.
