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Editor's Note: This article was originally published in January 2024 to analyze the draft amendments to the EPMA and EPM (HS) Regs, and was updated on November 1, 2024 to introduce the drafts for approval.
On October 30, 2024, Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) notified of WTO two drafts for approval to solicit public comments, i.e.,
Environmental Protection and Management Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 2) Order 2024; and
Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) (Amendment) Regulations 2024.
Comments period will be due by December 29, 2024.
The NEA is proposing to regulate 2 groups of chemicals and 9 products containing mercury as hazardous substances under the EPMA and the EPM (HS) Regs. According to the notification, if adopted, these amendments will be published in Singapore’s Government Gazette in December 2024, and the proposed control measures will come into force by June 2025.
Notably, the chemicals and products covered are detailed in G/TBT/N/SGP/74, including chemical name, CAS number and HS code. You can check whether your chemicals or products are within the scope and ensure compliance in advance.
Proposed drafts in January 2024
The National Environment Agency (NEA) of Singapore is currently soliciting public comments on the proposed control on MCCPs, LC-PFCAs, its salts and related compounds, and nine mercury-added products. To ensure the compliance with international obligations, the NEA proposes to regulate them as hazardous substances (HS) under the Second Schedule of the Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA) and the Schedule of the EPM (HS) Regulations. Comments are welcome before 15 February 2024. The detailed proposals are summarized below.
1. Proposed control on two POPs
Objects:
Medium chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs), i.e., Chlorinated paraffins with carbon chain lengths in the range C14–17 and chlorination levels at or exceeding 45 per cent chlorine by weight
Long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs) with carbon lengths of 9 to 21, their salts and related compounds
Control measures:
To impose licensing control on the import, export, manufacture, offer for sale, transport, purchase, storage and/or use of these chemicals.
Insights:
MCCPs and LC-PFCAs are considered highly toxic, persistent and bio-accumulative to cause long lasting harmful effect in the environment. They are recommended to be listed into Annex A (Elimination) under the Stockholm Convention in 2025. As Singapore is a party to this international convention, the NEA proposes to pre-emptively impose regulatory controls on these chemicals.
Companies will be allowed to import, export, manufacture or sell these chemicals with a valid HS Licence from NEA, or store or use these chemicals with a valid HS Permit from NEA. Limited exemptions for certain uses that do not have viable alternatives may be provided after further assessment.
2. Proposed control on 9 mercury-added products
Objects:
Compact fluorescent lamps with an integrated ballast (CFL.i) for general lighting purposes that are ≤ 30 watts with a mercury content not exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner
Cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode fluorescent lamps of all lengths for electronic displays
Strain gauges to be used in plethysmographs
The following electrical and electronic measuring devices except those installed in large-scale equipment or those used for high precision measurement, where no suitable mercury free alternative is available: Melt pressure transducers, melt pressure transmitters and melt pressure sensors
Mercury vacuum pumps
Tyre balancers and wheel weights
Photographic film and paper
Propellant for satellites and spacecraft
Very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridges and high frequency radio frequency switches and relays in monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury content of 20 mg per bridge switch or relay [except those used for research and development purposes]
Control measures:
The manufacture, import and export of the 9 mercury-added products will not be allowed from 1 January 2025.
Insights:
These 9 mercury-added products have been agreed to be listed in Annex A of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and are scheduled to be phased out by the end of 2024. As Singapore is a party to this international convention, the NEA intends to announce the prohibitions by June 2024 with a six-month transitional period before they take effect on 1 January 2025.
The notice of the public consultation is available here.
