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On September 25, 2023, the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) opened a public invitation to solicit comments on the proposed scheduling decisions – listing certain brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in IChEMS Register Schedule 6 or 7 (see table below). Comments are welcome before October 25, 2023.
Target chemicals | Proposed decision | Proposed effective date |
Commerial decaBDE: - Decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), and - Nonabromodiphenyl ether (nonaBDE) | IChEMS Register Schedule 6 | July 1, 2025 |
Commercial octaBDE: - Octabromodiphenyl ether (octaBDE), - Heptabromodiphenyl ether (heptaBDE), and - Hexabromodiphenyl ether (hexaBDE) | IChEMS Register Schedule 7 | July 1, 2024 |
Commercial pentaBDE: - Pentabromodiphenyl ether (pentaBDE), and - Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (tetraBDE) | ||
Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) |
The public consultations this time target the abovementioned BFRs. They are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) included in the Stockholm Convention, which are a priority for scheduling under the IChEMS. These target chemicals are agreed internationally to be of the highest concern and can cause serious harm to the environment if not managed properly. Once the proposed decisions are adopted, specific risk management measures will apply. More specifically,
Schedule 6 chemicals are likely to cause serious or irreversible harm to the environment, and normally cannot be imported, exported, manufactured, or used within Australia. However, some uses which are considered to be essential will still apply. These proposed essential uses are time-limited and will have strict controls applied to them. For example, the proposed decision for commercial decaBDE allows this chemical to be used in textile products, other than clothing and toys, until January 1, 2027.
Schedule 7 chemicals should not be imported, exported, manufactured, or used within Australia. Some exceptions apply, for example, where the chemical appears in a product or article in trace amounts, or where it is already in use in an article before the decision’s date of effect.
Details about the proposed risk management measures for each type of target BFRs can be accessed in the following supporting consultation documents:
IChEMS and IChEMS Register
IChEMS is a national approach to managing chemical use, storage, handling and disposal in Australia, which will provide more consistent regulation and make it easier for the industry to choose less harmful chemicals. As per the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Act, industrial chemicals circulated in Australia will be listed on the IChEMS Register in 7 schedules based on their environmental risks.
Source: IChEMS Scheduling Website
