Media Release - Public’s right to know about
industrial chemicals
10 Aug 1999
The National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme
(NICNAS) today released for public comment a plan to develop a list of
all industrial chemicals that are manufactured in Australia or imported
in large quantities.
"The high volume chemicals list is a big step forward in our endeavours
to satisfy the community's right to know about potential chemical
hazards," says NICNAS Director Dr Margaret Hartley. "It will also help
NICNAS and other government agencies to focus on chemicals that are of
particular concern to the Australian people and the environment".
Comment is sought from industry and the public as to how the list should
be compiled and what information it should contain. It is suggested that
each chemical on the list is identified by its international name and
code number as well as its local trade names, information concerning the
volume in which the chemical is manufactured or imported, which
industries use the chemical, and its general applications.
NICNAS is proposing that industry report every three years on all
industrial chemicals manufactured or imported in high volume so that the
list can be kept up to date.
The discussion paper for public comment is available on the NICNAS web
site at
http://www.worksafe.gov.au/nicnas/highvol.asp. The complete list
will be published on the Internet.
Contact at NICNAS for public submissions and for information about
public seminars is Dr Steen Kristensen on phone (02) 9577 9464, email
kristens@ASCC.gov.au. Submissions must be received by 19 October.
About NICNAS
The National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme
(NICNAS) operates under the Commonwealth Industrial Chemicals
(Notification and Assessment) Act 1989.
NICNAS is a statutory scheme within the portfolio of the Minister for
Health and Ageing. Its approach to the scientific assessment of
chemicals covers toxicity, exposure and use to assess the environmental,
public health and occupational health and safety risk. For more
information see the web site
www.nicnas.gov.au
Further information
Nick Miller, NICNAS, 02 8577 8810 or 0407 228 285
