The Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) is a national approach to managing chemical use, storage, handling and disposal. It will deliver more consistent environmental regulation and make it easier for industry to choose less harmful chemicals.
Chemicals will be categorised and scheduled on the IChEMS Register based on their level of concern to the environment. This will help government, industry, and the community make informed choices about chemicals.
The Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment has recently released Australia's industrial chemicals roadmap which explains how governments will work together to implement nationally consistent environmental standards for chemicals management within each jurisdiction's regulatory frameworks and systems.
Australia's states and territories are working to adopt and implement IChEMS into their own regulatory frameworks from the end of the year.
In Tasmania, the EPA will be the authority regulating these industrial chemicals.
Following extensive consultation, the Australian Government has released the draft IChEMS decision-making principles. A draft of the IChEMS Principles is now available for public consultation.
These Principles will guide scheduling decisions for chemicals. They are the basis for classification of a chemical into one of seven schedules and for setting any management standards that apply to a chemical.
Have your say
The Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment invites you to share your feedback on the draft Principles.
For further information, or to have your say, go to: https://haveyoursay.awe.gov.au/icemr-principles
Submissions close at 5pm (AEST) on Tuesday 24 May 2022
Please note: this news item has been updated to clarify that it is the decision-making principles that are open for consultation, not the roadmap.