The State Council of the People's Republic of China issued the "Comprehensive Action Plan on the Safety Control of Hazardous Chemicals" (危险化学品安全综合治理方案) (the Action Plan) on 29 November 2016. The Action Plan aims to further strengthen the decisions and policies regarding safety management of hazardous chemicals, in light of the explosion accident that occurred in Tianjin last year. The Action Plan does not impose any direct requirements on individual facilities. Instead, it provides guidelines and goals for government agencies responsible for safety supervision of hazardous chemicals in China. Specifically, the Action plan outlines 40 major enforcement actions to be taken by relevant authorities from December 2016 to November 2019. It also provides targeted deadlines for each individual enforcement action. The Action Plan has an impact on facilities that produce, store, use, sell, import, transport, or dispose of hazardous chemicals.

Alert Summary The United States of America has elected Donald J. Trump as its 45th President. The environmental issues championed by the President-Elect appear to contrast with those of President Barack Obama’s, which could have a large impact on business. 3E Analysis On the morning of 9 November 2016, American...

3E Company has achieved best-in-class data quality by maintaining a focus on six key data quality dimensions. Prioritizing and emphasizing quality control helps ensure that 3E provides our valued clients with data of the highest quality and integrity. As a result of our efforts, our customers can be confident that the data managed by 3E is accurate and reliable.

The implementation of GHS in Canada brings many changes and new obligations. To help you navigate WHMIS 2015, our regulatory specialists have created an infographic that highlights key updates including classification requirements, labeling requirements, the four phases of HPR compliance, steps to compliance and HPR impact.

On 30 August 2016, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) approved the adoption of a revised Article 6 of the Proposition 65 regulations (27 CCR § 25601 et seq.), establishing the requirements for providing “clear and reasonable” warnings. To be compliant with the amended regulation, businesses will have to reword all their warnings provided under the law. The deadline for compliance is 30 August 2018.

This blog post has been updated since its original publication. Summary On 7 July 2016, the U.S. Senate voted 63-30 to approve a genetically modified organisms (GMO) bill (S. 764) that, if enacted, would preempt state GMO labeling laws by making it a federal requirement that food companies label their...

The historic referendum vote on 23 June 2016 by the public in the United Kingdom (UK) (which includes England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Gibraltar) on whether the UK should remain in the European Union (EU), otherwise known as “Brexit,” has sparked many concerns in businesses operating in Europe and the UK. The future of many political, trade and commerce issues between the UK and the EU will remain unsettled until the former’s formal initiation of Article 50 procedures under the Treaty on European Union (“Withdrawal of a Member State from the EU”) and the related negotiations. However, it is clear now that if Brexit does occur – and the UK does leave the EU – companies, especially importers of chemicals and chemical products, must have a proactive strategy to handle the commerce and regulatory impacts of the UK's departure from the EU.

On June 20, 2016, the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) added one new Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) to the REACH Candidate List for Authorization. The new substance added is called: Benzo[def]chrysene also called benzo[a]pyrene also called (carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic for reproduction, PBT, and vPvB) and is a polycyclic aromatic...

On 16 June 2016, the European Union (EU) Commission, the Parliament and the Council reached an agreement on conflict minerals. EU firms importing tin, tungsten, tantalum, gold and their ores (3TG), including processed metals, will be required to do due diligence checks on their suppliers. The aim is to stop trade in 3TG which funds conflicts and human rights abuses around the world. The Commission will also develop incentives and voluntary supply chain due diligence reporting tools for downstream EU companies that use these metals and minerals as components in their products.