Special chemicals, banned substances, and dangerous chemicals in the process of research, testing, production, and use pose a risk of causing unsafety and seriously affecting people if an incident occurs. Therefore, National Assembly delegates proposed that it is necessary to review and reconsider these chemicals to put them on the list of strictly controlled chemicals.
Need to tighten management of hazardous chemicals
Afternoon of November 23, continue the program At the 8th session, the National Assembly discussed the project in the hall. Law on Chemicals (amended). Speaking at the meeting, delegate Tran Khanh Thu (Thai Binh) said that some provisions in the current draft law are not complete, especially regarding the purchase and sale of dangerous chemicals such as cyanide.
Although the law requires a control certificate for the sale of cyanide, there is a lack of clear regulations on the conditions that individuals or organizations must meet to be allowed to use these chemicals.
According to the delegate, cyanide and cyanide-containing compounds are currently used in industries such as pesticide production, disinfectants, and gold and silver mining. However, according to Decree 113/2017/ND-CP, cyanide is only classified as a hazardous chemical, not considered a banned chemical.
Therefore, delegate Tran Khanh Thu suggested that there should be a comprehensive review of chemicals and stricter regulations on the management and use of special and dangerous chemicals.
Delegate Pham Van Hoa (Dong Thap) also emphasized the importance of chemical management to protect public health. The delegate said that without strict management, dangerous chemicals could be abused in consumer products, causing harm to people.
Therefore, there must be clear regulations prohibiting the construction of factories, research or production facilities. toxic chemicals near residential areas, to protect the environment and public health.
Delegate Tran Thi Thanh Huong (An Giang) said that there should be clearer regulations on chemical storage conditions, especially for hazardous chemicals.
In addition, the transportation of chemicals needs to be regulated more specifically, from transportation permits to responsibility for handling incidents that affect the environment and human health. In particular, attention should be paid to the transportation of chemicals by boat on rivers and seas.
According to the female delegate, it is necessary to add specific solutions to protect the environment, especially in green transformation, developing circular economy and using renewable energy.
At the same time, the drafting agency needs to review and supplement regulations related to protecting people's rights, protecting health, and food safety in chemical environments.
Strengthening management and application of information technology in chemical control
Speaking at the discussion session, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien thanked National Assembly deputies for their frank and responsible opinions on the draft Law on Chemicals (amended).
The Minister affirmed that the draft Law on Chemicals (amended) will be closely received and edited to ensure that it meets the requirements for effective chemical management, creates favorable conditions for businesses and protects public health. The drafting agency will continue to review the regulations to ensure consistency and rationality, and at the same time, overcome shortcomings in the draft.
Regarding the management of chemical activities, especially toxic chemicals, special control is needed to strengthen the management of toxic chemicals and control risks of chemical safety and security, the Minister of Industry and Trade said that the drafting agency has proposed to amend and supplement a number of regulations to the draft.
Accordingly, amend and supplement regulations on chemical management throughout the entire life cycle, from when chemicals are created or brought into Vietnam, to when they are circulated, used and treated.
The draft law has added regulations to manage the import, production, trading, and transportation of chemicals with varying levels of strictness, to ensure compliance with each chemical category, safety in the production and use of chemicals, and environmental safety.
In addition, pre-inspection measures should be added for the import of chemicals requiring special control, instead of businesses only needing to make automatic chemical declarations as is currently the case. At the same time, it is proposed to increase sanctions for violations to increase deterrence.
A notable point in the draft Law on Chemicals (amended) is the increased use of information technology in chemical management, from import, production to consumption and treatment of chemicals.
The Minister of Industry and Trade said that the drafting agency has proposed applying information technology and digital transformation in controlling hazardous chemicals, ensuring monitoring of the entire process from production to use.
According to the Minister, the draft Law on Chemicals (amended) will continue to be improved to encourage sustainable development of the chemical industry, ensuring both economic goals and environmental protection.
The Government will continue to coordinate with relevant agencies to deploy support solutions for the chemical industry, to promote investment and develop key projects in this field.
The draft Law on Chemicals (amended) is currently being studied and edited for completion, before being submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval in the next session.
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