Environment min moves towards banning toxic chemicals
India is moving towards fulfilling its obligations under the Stockholm Convention that regulates the production, use and trade of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
The environment ministry notified draft rules for the regulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), prohibiting the production, trade and use of seven toxic chemicals that are found in insecticides, pesticides, flame retardants, and for other industrial uses.
Internationally the use and trade in POPs is governed by the Stockholm Convention, that came into force in 2004 and was ratified by India in 2006. It lists chemicals that are to be completely banned barring a few exemptions, chemicals whose use is to be restricted and a third category of chemicals whose unintentional release was to be curbed.
The seven chemicals listed in the draft rules fall under the first category: Chlordecone, Hexabromobiphenyl; Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether (commercial octa-BDE); Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether (commercial penta-BDE); Pentachlorobenzene; Hexabromocyclododecane and Hexachlorobutadine.
The draft rules are open for comments for 30 days from Aug 30.