Why it matters

Strengthening the regulation of industrial chemicals to protect our community and the environment

The proposed changes strengthen the regulation of industrial chemicals and align NSW with new national standards for industrial chemical risk management to better protect our land, air and water from the environmental risks of industry chemicals.

The Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard – or IChEMS –is a national approach for managing risks posed by industrial chemicals from their introduction, use, and disposal.

Adopting a national approach

We are seeking your feedback on the draft Environmental Legislation Amendment (Hazardous Chemicals) Bill 2023. Have a read and tell us what you think.

The proposed changes will enhance regulatory oversight of emerging problem chemicals to help reduce the risk of chemical contamination and industry spills in NSW, protecting the community from potential impacts to the environment and human health.

They will simplify and improve clarity for businesses operating in NSW by streamlining regulatory requirements for managing industrial chemicals into one piece of legislation.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (the EPA) is consulting with the community, local government, license-holders businesses, and industry to help inform the proposed legislative changes.

Your views on the draft Environmental Legislation Amendment (Hazardous Chemicals) Bill 2023 are highly valued and will inform any changes to the regulatory approach.

We want to get your feedback on proposals to:

  • Adopt the Commonwealth IChEMS Register in NSW to form the NSW IChEMS Register, with a power to change it by regulation if needed.

  • Make the NSW EPA the regulatory authority for users of high-risk industrial chemicals in activities regulated under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act), regardless of the scale of those activities.

  • Enable the NSW EPA to require users of specified chemicals to notify details of their use where there is potential for the chemical to present a risk of harm to people or the environment.

  • Transfer and update key provisions of the Environmentally Hazardous Chemicals Act 1985 (EHC Act) to the POEO Act and then repeal the EHC Act.

Have your say

The consultation is now closed.

Your privacy

Please note, your feedback may include ‘personal information,' including your name, address, email, internet protocol address and any other personal information contained in your feedback.

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The EPA may publish all or part of your feedback on its website, on its online consultation platform or in a consultation report. In providing us with your feedback, you consent to the EPA publishing all or part of your submission. If you would like all or part of your feedback to be withheld from publication, please let us know when making your feedback.

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