Korea to set quantities for newly designated restricted and toxic substances 
On February 22, 2022, the Ministry of Environment of South Korea issued a draft amendment to the Regulations on the Stipulated Quantities for Toxic Substances, Restricted Substances, Prohibited Substances and Substances Subject to Authorization. The draft amendment specifies the stipulated quantities for six types of restricted substances and toxic substances (such as Acrylamide and 1,4-Dioxane) that are newly designated by Designation of Restricted Substances and Prohibited Substances published on December 29, 2021, and Notice on Designation of Toxic Substances dated on December 28, 2021.
The Chemicals Control Act, which is the superordinate law to the draft amendment, stipulates that those who establish or operate facilities handling hazardous chemicals (which specifically refers to toxic substances, restricted substances, prohibited substance, and substances subject to authorization) must prepare a Chemical Accident Prevention Management Plan in advance and report the Plan to the National Institute of Chemical Safety. However, there are two standards for each hazardous chemical, namely, the stipulated lower quantity and the stipulated higher quantity, and if the quantity of the hazardous chemicals handled is less than the stipulated lower quantity, the reporting is exempted. In other cases, establishments are classified into Group 1 and Group 2 based on the stipulated higher quantity, and the applicable standards, such as the contents to be described in the Chemical Accident Prevention Management Plan, differ depending on the groups.
- Equal to or greater than the stipulated upper quantity: Group 1
- Equal to or greater than the stipulated lower quantity but less than the stipulated upper quantity: Group 2
- Less than the stipulated lower quantity: Exemption from the reporting
In the draft amendment issued, the stipulated lower and upper quantities are proposed for following six types of substances, which are newly designated as restricted substances or toxic substances.
(Unit: tons)
| Name of chemicals | CAS No. | Stipulated lower quantity | Stipulated upper quantity |
| N,N,N-Tributyl-1-butanaminium, (T-4)-butyltriphenylborate(1-) (1:1) | 120307-06-4 | 20 | 400 |
| N,N,N-Tributyl-1-butanaminium, (T-4)-butyltri-1-naphthalenylborate(1-) (1:1) | 219125-19-6 | 20 | 400 |
| 1-(Chloromethyl)-4-ethenylbenzene | 1592-20-7 | 20 | 400 |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 123-91-1 | 5 | 200 |
| N,N-Dimethyl-N-octadecyl-1-octadecanammonium chloride | 107-64-2 | 20 | 400 |
| 400* | -* | ||
| Acrylamide | 79-06-1 | 20 | 500 |
The original text of the proposed amendment can be viewed at the following URL (in Korean).
https://www.epeople.go.kr/cmmn/idea/redirect.do?ideaRegNo=1AE-2202-0001187
Regulations on the Stipulated Quantities for Toxic Substances, Restricted Substances, Prohibited Substances and Substances Subject to Authorization
https://www.law.go.kr/admRulLsInfoP.do?admRulSeq=2100000205740
Designation of Restricted Substances and Prohibited Substances (latest version as of December 29, 2021)
https://www.law.go.kr/admRulLsInfoP.do?admRulSeq=2100000207761
Notice on Designation of Toxic Substances (latest version as of December 28, 2021)
https://www.law.go.kr/admRulLsInfoP.do?admRulSeq=2100000207419
