Government and Policy

China unveils new rules for hazardous chemicals

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-11 20:43

BEIJING - The State Council, China's Cabinet, published new regulations on Friday for safely managing explosives and other hazardous chemicals in a bid to improve the protection of the public and the environment.

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The regulation, which has clauses for the production, storage, use, sales and transporting of hazardous chemicals, will come into effect beginning December 1 this year, according to a decree signed by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

As written in the new regulations, governments at the county level or above must establish a coordination mechanism for the supervision and management of hazardous chemicals.

The regulation does not gives specific details about the hazardous chemicals, but says that a detailed catalogue of hazardous chemicals will later be jointly published by the State Administration of Work Safety and other government departments concerned with industry, public security, environmental protection, health, transport, railway and civil aviation.

Most toxic chemicals are prohibited from being transported on rivers, according to the regulation.

Offenders of the regulations would face a maximum penalty of 1 million yuan ($152,000) or an investigation into criminal liabilities.

China's existing regulations on hazardous chemicals came into effect on March 15, 2002.