Japan

Japanese Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL)

The Law Concerning the Examination and Regulation of Manufacture of  Chemical Substances (the Chemical Substances Control Law - CSCL) was adopted in the 1970s in order to control and manage appropriately the environmental risk posed by any chemicals produced in Japan or imported.

Since the amendment of the CSCL in September 2004, HBCD is included for ongoing monitoring as a Type I Monitoring Chemical Substance. For HBCD the following measures are required:

• Mandatory reporting of actual quantities of manufacturing/import and uses.
• If a certain potential for risk is presented according to preliminary toxicity evaluation by the government, guidance and advice shall be given to businesses on measures for risk reduction to minimise release into the environment.
• After risk reduction measures have been taken, the manufacturers and importers are, if necessary, directed to investigate long-term toxicity. If long-term toxicity is identified, the substance shall be designated as a Class I Specified Chemical Substance.

The industry is committed to cooperating and working with regulators in addressing possible concerns about this substance..

In 2010, the CSCL was amended in order to ensure conformity with international rules, such as the EU REACH Regulation. The amended CSCL ensures that when a chemical substance is restricted, it is evaluated in line with international conventions.

Manufacturers and/or importers of all chemical substances have an obligation to report the quantity of the chemical substance when manufacturing or importing it.

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PRTR Law

The "Law Concerning Reporting, etc. of Releases to the Environment of Specific Chemical Substances and Promoting Improvements in Their Management” (“Law for PRTR and Promotion of Chemical Management”) was enacted in July 1999. The purpose of this Law is to promote businesses’ voluntary improvements in the management of specific chemical substances and to prevent any impediment of environmental protection.  This law requires businesses to report chemicals substances of concern under the PRTR System and to provide information on them under the MSDS System.

Deca-BDE is the only brominated flame retardant classified in the PRTR law. This means that yearly reports have to be produced by certain size of business on volumes imported, volumes received (produced) and transferred or used and quantities released in the environment on Deca-BDE.

TBP (2,4,6 - tribromophenol) is also listed in the PRTR law. TBP is usually not used as a flame retardant by itself, but rather as an intermediate for production of certain flame retardants.

Other Legislation

The updated Incineration section of the Waste Management (1997) and the Dioxins Law (1997) do not restrict the use of brominated flame retardants, but only refer to B-Dioxins.