Taiwan announced the notice of adding ammonium nitrate and hydrogen fluoride into “chemicals of concern” 
On April 1, 2021，Environmental Protection Agency of Taiwan announced a notice of adding ammonium nitrate and hydrogen fluoride to “chemicals of concern” and started soliciting comments. The deadline for submitting comments is 60 days after the noticed day. Substances announced as “chemicals of concern” are subjected to the regulations of the “Law of Toxicity and Chemical of Concern Control“, so when handling the substances, it is necessary to comply with related requirements, such as applying for approval documents. As these two substances added this time have been noticed as “hazardous chemical of concern”, so when handling these substances has to comply with regulations related to “Accident prevention and emergency response”.
Ammonium nitrate used in the production of agricultural fertilizers can cause an explosion if it is not properly managed. In addition, Ammonium nitrate is also the raw material of nitrous oxide, which is the first substance listed in “chemicals of concern” in Taiwan.
Hydrogen fluoride, which is widely used in the production of semiconductor of chips, has corrosivity and irritant to skin, unproperly usage can cause casualty accidents. In consideration of these related situations, the Environmental Protection Agency add these two substances into “chemicals of concern”. The outline of this notice is as follows.
- “Chemicals of concern” added to the management target [Appendix 1]
| No | Name | CAS No | Regulated concentration | Regulated action | Is hazardous substances or not | Handling volume by grade | Periodical declaration frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 002 | Ammonium nitrate | 6484-52-2 | 80 w/w% | Production, import, sale, transportation, usage, storage | Yes | 50000kg | Monthly |
| 003 | Hydrogen Fluoride | 7664-39-3 | 10 w/w% | Production, import, sale, transportation, usage, storage, discard | Yes | 300kg | monthly |
Note:Substances which exceed the regulated concentration listed in the above table will be controlled as “chemical of concern”.
If the “chemical of concern” which is hazardous and the total handling volume exceeds the regulated volume which mentioned in the above table, it will become obligation to comply with the regulations related to accident prevention and emergency response.
- Maters have to be completed by the deadline (Partial content)
- Ammonium nitrate
| Daily handled volume should be recorded and transmitted online. However, if there is no change on the handled volume, daily record can be excepted. | Recording will begin on July 1, 2021 and regular report should be made in accordance with regulations. |
| Preparation of label and SDS (safety data sheet) of container, packaging, handling locations and facilities. | Should be finished by December 1, 2021。 |
- Hydrogen fluoride
| Handling record | Recording will begin on December 1, 2021 and regular declaration should be made in accordance with regulations. |
| Submission of hazardous prevention and emergency response plans. | Should be submitted by November 1, 2022. |
| Preparation of label and SDS (safety data sheet) of container, packaging, handling locations and facilities. | Should be finished by June 1, 2022. |
For the original text of the above content, please refer to the following URL (in traditional Chinese)
https://enews.epa.gov.tw/Page/3B3C62C78849F32F/d87b23df-b208-4abd-8c9d-88e1a8250ceb
