Activities Related to the Chemical Substances Control Law

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 The Law Concerning the Examination and Regulation of Manufacture, etc. of Chemical Substances (or the Act on the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture, etc. or the Chemical Substances Control Law) was enacted in 1973 in the wake of emergence of environmental pollution and hazards caused by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This law mandates prior evaluation of certain hazardous properties of new chemical substances which are intended to be manufactured or imported to Japan.

Outline

The Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL) was enacted in 1973 in the wake of environmental pollution caused by PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). It intends to prevent pollution by chemical substances with similar properties to PCBs, including high persistency, high accumulation, and long-term toxicity. As for newly manufactured or imported chemical substances, their safety should be assessed before import and/or introduction to the market, and those with PCB-like properties are regulated for their manufacturing, import and use.
In 1986, the law was amended to include the regulation of chemical substances that are not highly accumulative but that are persistently toxic (Type II Specified Chemical Substances and Designated Chemical Substances - current Type II Monitoring Chemical Substances). In 2003, the law was further amended following international trend and OECD recommendations on chemical management. Thereby an assessment and regulation system was introduced to focus on the impact of chemical substances on flora and fauna, and the possibility of discharge into the environment.
The CSCL mainly consists of two parts; prior assessment of new chemical substances, and regulations based on their properties.
CMC provides technical support to ensure appropriate operation of the law under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE).

Act on the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture, etc.

See Act on the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture, etc. for detailed information.