On October 21, 2020, the revision to Taiwan’s Toxic Chemical Substances Hazard Prevention and Response Plan Regulations was approved with the changes scheduled to take effect on November 1, 2020. Taiwan EPA aligned the Regulations with the new Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Control Act (TCCSCA) and renamed it as the Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Hazard Prevention and Response Plan Regulations.

The 7 major amendments are summarized as below.

1. Widening the management scope to cover the Class 1 to Class 3 toxic chemical substances and the chemical substances of concern;

2. Dividing hazard prevention and response plans into two types for handling site and transport respectively;

3. Disclosing hazard prevention and response plans on official website for public reference, excluding personal information, confidential information and information involving national security;

4. Requiring additional information for hazard prevention and response plans in the case of handling substances or mixtures that are calculated according to Annex 1 as being relatively high risks;

5. Specifying situations where handlers shall review their hazard prevention and response plans and report the changes within 30 days;

6. Adding provisions that if a major accident occurs, the authority shall request the handlers to supplement information as stipulated in Article 4;

7. Giving a two-year grace period for handlers that have submitted hazard prevention and response plans before November 1, 2020.