Source : Bernama.com, 25 May '05
By : Bernama
  

Both are international agreements on control of hazardous chemicals.

Singapore's instruments of ratification and accession were submitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations in New York yesterday, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources said in a statement Wednesday.

Both conventions will come into force mid-August this year, 90 days after the date of deposit of the instruments.

The Stockholm Convention aims to control production and use of all manufactured persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which are chemicals that resist degradation and pose a long-term risk to the well-being of human populations and wildlife.

Industrial chemicals and pesticides are examples of POPs.

The convention also seeks the continuing minimisation and, where feasible, ultimate elimination of releases of unintentionally produced POPs, such as dioxins and furans, which are by-products of incineration.

The ministry said the National Environment Agency had since 1980 banned the use of the 10 POP industrial chemicals and pesticides in Singapore.

"Air emission standards have also been introduced under the Environmental Pollution Control (Air Impurities) Regulations 2001 to limit dioxins and furans releases," it said.

The Rotterdam Convention obliges parties to observe a legally binding procedure whereby exporting countries must obtain the "Prior Informed Consent" of importing countries before export of the controlled hazardous chemicals can proceed.

Currently, the convention regulates 39 hazardous chemicals comprising 28 pesticides and 11 industrial chemicals, some of which are POPs.

These chemicals under the Rotterdam Convention are also subject to controls under the Environmental Pollution Control Act and its regulations.