April 26, 2001
The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) has welcomed the Government's announcement of a start date for hazardous substances management of 2 July 2001.
Hazardous substances are covered under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996. The Act came into effect for new organisms (covering the introduction of new plants and animals to New Zealand and genetically modified organisms) in July 1998.
Authority Chair, Jill White, said today that ERMA New Zealand was very pleased that the second part of the Act could now get started.
"We have been looking forward to this announcement, as have industry and other groups such as the environmental NGOs. The commencement of the Act means that New Zealand will now have a comprehensive regime for regulating hazardous substances. All substances will now be managed using the same approach. They will be evaluated against a single set of criteria that are designed to prevent harm to the environment or public health."
"The new system is based on risk management and will focus on the potential effects of a substance. It is aimed at avoiding or managing risks rather than bureaucratically regulating all industrial products across the board. If a substance is not hazardous i.e. it does not exceed the thresholds specified in the Act for explosiveness, toxicity, flammability etc - it won't need to be covered by the new law. There will be no need to seek an approval and no cost. If it is hazardous, it will need to come to the Authority for an approval before it can be introduced."
The application system will apply only to new substances, not already legally present in New Zealand. Existing substances, which number in the hundreds of thousands, will not have to get an approval. But they will be systematically checked and 'transferred' over to the new regime by ERMA New Zealand technical staff over the coming two to five years.
"Anyone who thinks they may be affected should call us and we can let them know what the new law will mean for them in practice. There is also detailed information available on the internet at www.hsno.govt.nz , " said Mrs White.
She stressed that ERMA New Zealand will be taking a common sense approach to considering hazardous substance applications. "We don't want to create any unnecessary hurdles but at the same time we will require a proper risk assessment for all applications. "
"We have been talking with industry for some time about how the new system will work and what they'll need to do to make an application. Our aim is to be as helpful as possible and to support applicants and other participants through the process."
ERMA New Zealand is about to launch a major national education campaign to raise awareness about the new law. It includes:
- A series of industry training workshops in 5 centres around the country, over May- June. These are being co hosted by industry associations such as the Employers and Manufacturers;
- A special briefing for industry in Sydney on 25 May ? Special briefings for other key groups, including NGOs, in the same period;
- An information pack for hazardous substances applicants, due in late May;
- A wide range of technical and guidance publications, covering how to make an application, how to do a risk assessment, what happens with existing substances etc;
- A training course for HS advisors and consultants later in the year.
A new educational website - www.hsno.govt.nz - has been launched, with comprehensive information about the HSNO Act.
It also has full details about the training workshops and other educational material.
"We are recommending that applicants and users of hazardous substances - and anyone else with an interest in this issue - visit the website. It will have the most up-to-date information on hazardous substances," said Jill White.
Hazardous substances are used in many parts of New Zealand industry and can be found in factories, farms and in the home. They range from paints, pesticides, and petrol to industrial chemicals, inks, resins and solvents to explosives and other dangerous goods.
In the past, they have been regulated through a patchwork of over 20 different Acts, with differing criteria and standards of assessment.
For further information:
| Dr. Donald Hannah, Acting CEO, ERMA New Zealand. Ph +64 4 473 8426. |
Karen Cronin, Communications Manager, ERMA New Zealand. |