Reforming NICNAS’s Existing Chemicals Program

NICNAS is implementing reforms to its Existing Chemicals Program (ECP) which provide a more flexible and responsive program to industry, government and the community.

 

These activities are consistent with those being pursued in similar industrial chemicals regulatory agencies in other countries with large numbers of “grandfathered” chemicals on their inventories that have not yet been assessed.

 

NICNAS is working with several of these agencies to exchange information to speed up processes, cut duplication and reduce costs.
A review of the ECP was undertaken from 2003-06, following concerns the program was not assessing chemicals in the most efficient manner.

 

Implementation of recommendations from the review commenced in 2007 and are ongoing. This involves considerable consultation, technical and legislative work. Various improvements to the ECP are now coming on stream, and will continue to do so over several years.

 

Latest activities

 

All developments in reforms to NICNAS’s ECP, to May 2011, are detailed in Existing Chemicals Program Review - 2010-11 Developments (PDF 335Kb).

 

Implementation of the recommendations of the ECP Review currently concentrates on:

• Establishing a risk based framework for assessing and prioritising chemicals listed on the Australian Inventory of Chemical Substances (AICS), taking health and environmental criteria and exposure indicators into account;
• Finalising the framework for new assessment products and associated mandatory powers to gather information through consultation and appeal provisions; and
• Streamlined secondary notification conditions.
  

Read more:

• The Existing Chemicals Program (ECP);
• Background to the ECP Review; and
• More Information;
• Assessment and Prioritisation of Chemicals on AICS.