Cabinet Ordinance Partially Amending the Enforcement Ordinance of the Law Concerning Special Measures against Dioxins

December 11, 2003

The Cabinet is expected to approve the Cabinet Ordinance Partially Amending the Enforcement Ordinance of the Law Concerning Special Measures against Dioxins (hereinafter referred to as "Dioxins Law") and other related ordinances on December 12, 2003.

This cabinet ordinance is intended to add facilities manufacturing sodium hydrogen 4-chlorophthalate and facilities manufacturing 2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphthoquinone to the list of the specified facilities subject to water quality control under the Dioxins Law and to make necessary amendments to related regulations.

In order to control the generation and discharge of dioxins, the Dioxins Law, enacted in 1999, stipulates the designation of facilities subject to emission control by the cabinet ordinance.

To this end, the Ministry of the Environment set up a Study Committee for Investigating Unregulated Sources of Dioxins in October 2000.

Among the factories and business establishments recently reviewed by the Study Committee, the following facilities are found to have discharged waste water containing dioxins. This cabinet ordinance adds these facilities to the list of the specified facility (facilities subject to water quality control) in Appendix 2 of the Enforcement Ordinance of the Dioxins Law. Currently, 14 facilities are on the list of the specified facility.

Specific amendments made by the cabinet ordinance are as follows.

1. Amendments to the Enforcement Ordinance of the Dioxins Law

Facilities listed below are added as the specified facility (facilities subject to water quality control) pursuant to the Dioxins Law.

The following facilities being among those used for the manufacture of sodium hydrogen 4-chlorophthalate.

The following facilities being among those used for the manufacture of 2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphtoquinone.

2. Amendments to the Enforcement Ordinance of the Law concerning the Improvement of Pollution Prevention Systems in Specific Factories

The above-mentioned facilities are added to the list of dioxins-generating facilities that are required to appoint qualified personnel for the prevention of pollution at specific factories pursuant to the Law concerning the Improvement of Pollution Prevention Systems in Specific Factories.

3. Amendments to the Enforcement Ordinance of the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law

The above-mentioned facilities are added to the list of facilities under Items 24 of the Appendix 5 of the Enforcement Ordinance of the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law. Consequently, sludge, waste acids, waste alkalis, and substances resulting from the treatment of these wastes that contain dioxins exceeding certain concentration are added as specially-controlled industrial waste. The necessary regulations are put into place.

This cabinet ordinance will be approved by the Cabinet on December 12, 2003 and will take effect on January 1, 2004.

In tandem with the enforcement of this cabinet ordinance, the Enforcement Regulation of the Law concerning Special Measures against Dioxins will also be amended setting the following effluent standard applicable to the added facilities. The necessary amendments will also be made to the Enforcement Regulation of the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law, and the following standards will be applied.