Crop Protection Chemicals

You know, chemicals.

to International Chemicals Management

to international chemicals management

to International Chemicals Management

Chemicals.

The required functions of the Strategic Approach oversight body will be

Draft overarching policy strategy

Information Sources and Exchange on Capacity Building for Chemicals Management June 2005, prepared by IOMC for SAICM PrepCom3

The functions to be performed by the Strategic Approach secretariat will be

Institutional arrangements to support implementation and taking stock of progress of the Strategic Approach will include national coordination and, at the international level, an oversight body and a secretariat.

1. The allegations concerning Thor Chemicals SA (Pty.) Ltd. (para. 64) relate to poor household practices within the factory.

The INFOCAP Steering Group appreciates the opportunity to submit comments on the IOMC document on Information Sources and Exchange on Capacity Building for Chemicals Management June 2005, prepared for SAICM PrepCom3.

The national focal point should be at a sufficiently high level and, ideally, would have one or two alternates, each from a different national ministry or agency.

NAL has been carrying out shaped charge tests in collaboration with MHI and Chugoku Chemicals.

The importation of spent mercury catalyst into South Africa by Thor Chemicals was known to and permitted by the South African Government and there was no illicit dumping or trafficking.

The IOMC paper Information Sources and Exchange on Capacity Building for Chemicals Management was circulated to the IFCS INFOCAP Steering Group for comment. Comments received are provided below (in English only, due to the deadline for submission of SAICM PrepCom3 papers).

To facilitate communication, nationally and internationally, each Government should designate a Strategic Approach national focal point to act as a conduit for communication on Strategic Approach matters, including invitations to participate in meetings, and information dissemination.

Public pressure pushed the Government to ban the import of toxic wastes, a ban that apparently did not include materials imported for recycling, which is what Thor Chemicals claimed to do.

All charges of homicide against three employees were dropped by the State Prosecutor, and Thor Chemicals was found guilty by the court of contravening the Machinery and Occupational Safety Act of 1983 (Act 6 of 1983).

(b) Further develop a strategic approach to international chemicals management based on the Bahia Declaration and Priorities for Action beyond 2000 of the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety by 2005, and urge that the United Nations Environment Programme, the Intergovernmental Forum, other international organizations dealing with chemical management and other relevant international organizations and actors closely cooperate in this regard, as appropriate

The majority of imported material remains stockpiled on Thor Chemicals premises and the future treatment of this material is currently the subject of a Commission of Inquiry that was appointed by President Mandela on 24 March 1995.

23. For example, at the end of last year, the Dow Chemicals group of the United States bought 100 per cent of the shares of South Africa s Sentrachem group, the owner of the Sanachem company, with which the Cuban entity Quimimport had maintained significant and stable trade relations since 1992.

To sustain an integrated approach to managing chemicals, each Government should establish a central body for implementing the Strategic Approach on an inter ministerial or inter institutional basis so that all concerned national departmental and stakeholder interests are represented and all relevant substantive areas are addressed.

Since the acquisition of the South African firm by Dow Chemicals, and despite the willingness of the South African authorities, the supplier and the United States company to maintain business relations with Cuba, the United States Department of the Treasury did not authorize this entity to continue its business relations with the island and even refused to grant a licence to cover shipments already in transit.

The terms of reference of the Commission are to investigate the history and background of the acquisition of spent mercury catalyst stockpiled by Thor Chemicals as well as additional mercury containing sludge on the premises and to report on the further utilization or disposal thereof, and to recommend on the best practical environmental option to deal with the problem of mercury containing catalyst and or waste currently present on Thor s premises.

Since then, there had been only one attempt, in 1995, by a Finnish Company, Kokkola Chemicals OY, to export a consignment of hazardous material, in this case containing cupric arsenite, to a South African company, JAD Metal Concentrators (Pty.) Ltd. The incident provoked such an outcry from Green movements that the import was stopped and the waste was sent back to Finland.