The Government will introduce the Hazardous Chemicals Control Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 1) Order 2016 (the Amendment Order) into the Legislative Council on January 11, 2017. The Amendment Order seeks to amend the Hazardous Chemicals Control Ordinance (Cap. 595) (the Ordinance) to include hexabromocyclododecane into Schedule 1 of the Ordinance in order to strengthen the protection of the general public and the environment against potential health and pollution problems due to exposure to this chemical.

    Under the Ordinance, the manufacture, export, import and use of the scheduled hazardous chemicals are subject to permit controls.

     "Inclusion of hexabromocyclododecane in the Ordinance will bring Hong Kong in line with the revision to the list of persistent organic pollutants covered by the Stockholm Convention (the Convention) on Persistent Organic Pollutants," a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department said today (December 23).

     The Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from potentially harmful persistent organic pollutants. In implementing the Convention, Parties to the Convention will take measures to restrict the production or use of, and to reduce or ultimately eliminate, the persistent organic pollutants identified by the United Nations Environment Programme. The amendment to the Schedule of the Ordinance to include hexabromocyclododecane is made in accordance with the amendment of the list of controlled persistent organic pollutants covered by the Convention which will enter into force in the People's Republic of China, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, on December 26, 2016.

     The control of hexabromocyclododecane under the Ordinance will take effect from June 1, 2017. Any person found guilty of manufacturing, exporting, importing or using hexabromocyclododecane without a permit is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for one year.

Ends/Friday, December 23, 2016
Issued at HKT 11:08

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