Singapore Implements Regulatory Measures for 4 Hazardous Substances

On 24 July 2023, Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) announced that the listings for four substances (dechlorane plus, methoxychlor, UV-328, and terbufos) will be changed due to the decision at the 11^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (COP11). Currently the four substances are regulated under the Hazardous Substances under the Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA) and the Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations

COP11 meeting

At the 11^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (COP11) in May 2023 it was decided to add dechlorane plus, methoxychlor and UV-328 to Annex A of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).  Annex A lists the chemicals for which Parties must take action to eliminate their production and use. Details about the three substances can be found here.

It was furthermore decided to list Terbufos in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade. Annex III lists the chemicals that are subject to the prior informed consent (PIC) procedure. Terbufos is a soil insecticide used commonly on sorghum, maize, beet and potatoes and is known to pose a high to extremely high risk to aquatic organisms, birds, and small mammals due to its toxicity.

Timeline

22 October 2023: From this date the import and export of Terbufos will be subject to the PIC procedure of the Rotterdam Convention. This means that prior approval must be obtained from the Chemical Control and Management Department (CCMD) for every export of the chemical. Furthermore, the CCMD must be notified at least one month prior to the expected date of export.

12 May 2024: The manufacture, import, and export of dechlorane plus, methoxychlor, and UVA-328 as well as products containing these chemicals will not be allowed in Singapore. Companies with existing stock of the chemicals and/or their products imported before this date are allowed to deplete their stocks locally.