(Promulgated by the State Environmental Protection Administration, the State Economic and Trade Commission, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Communications, the State Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision on December 29, 1999)

Hazardous chemicals have the dual nature of harmfulness and utilization, and involve a wide range of aspects, a great number of people and a fairly high demand for disciplines. The State Council promulgated Regulations for the Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals in 1987 and the State Economic and Trade Commission, Ministry of the Public Security, Ministry of Communications, the State Environmental Protection Administration and Ministry of Chemical Industry have also established relevant management rules, regulations or standards. However, in the course of manufacture, use, storage, operation, export and import, transportation, and treatment of chemicals, some units and individuals acted against rules and regulations, thus resulting in frequent occurrence of chemical accidents which seriously endanger people's life, contaminate the environment and cause odious impacts on the society.In order to strengthen the management of chemicals, especially the management of hazardous chemicals, avoid or reduce accidents generated from chemicals, guarantee overall supervision and management of the manufacture, storage, operation, transportation, export and import, use, and treatment of chemicals, relevant issues are notified as follows:

1. Units and individuals who manufacture, store, operate, transport, use, treat hazardous chemicals within the territory of the People's Republic of China shall observe the Regulations for the Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals and other relevant rules and regulations.

2. Implement a permit system of the manufacture of chemicals. Manufacture permits of industrial products shall be issued by departments of quality and technical supervision after investigation of permit applicants in accordance with the provisions for permit system promulgated by the State.

3. Implement a registration system of hazardous chemicals. Enterprises manufacturing hazardous chemicals shall, in accordance with the Provisions for the Safe Use of Chemicals on the Working Sites and other relevant stipulations, register themselves with the chemical registration offices in provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central authorities.

4. Implement a registration system of those hazardous chemicals that require special environmental management. Enterprises and institutions manufacturing and using those hazardous chemicals that require special environmental management shall declare the name, output and distribution of, emergency measures for and other relevant messages of such hazardous chemicals to the local competent administrations of environmental protection.

5. Enterprises manufacturing chemicals shall earnestly implement the Guiding Principle for the Compiling of Hazardous Chemical Tags (GB/T152581999), Classification and Labeling of Hazardous Chemicals in Common Use (GB136901992), and Provisions for the Compiling of Technical Specifications of Hazardous Chemicals (BG 164831996) and other standards of the State.

6. The storage of hazardous chemicals, the storage of extremely toxic substance in particular, shall be equipped with storage sites that meet the environmental demands for safety and have burglarproof facilities; and a strict registration system of passes and sales shall be established. Hazardous chemicals that are used as producers-goods shall be stored according to relevant regulations established by the State Economic and Trade Commission, the State Bureau of Quality and Technical Inspection, and the State Petrochemical Industry Bureau. Concentrated storage of hazardous chemicals for business purposes shall report the categories, quantities and measures for the prevention and control of pollution to environmental protection departments.

7. All units and individuals engaging in the transportation of hazardous chemicals shall observe the provisions of the State for the transport management of hazardous materials. When transporting hazardous chemicals that require a transport permit, consignors shall go to the public security, environmental protection and transportation departments to apply for such permit and carry out freight transport after they get hazardous freight transport qualifications verified and issued by the transport department and transport permits. Consignors who transport hazardous substance without permits shall be punished in accordance with relevant administrative provisions of the State.

8. Means of transportation and packaging materials for hazardous chemicals shall meet relevant standards of the State and industry and shall be clearly labeled and marked.

9. Enterprises and institutions dealing in hazardous chemicals shall have appropriate business scope, scale and professional personnel, establish and perfect their safety management system and system of personal responsibility. Such enterprises and institutions are forbidden to deal in hazardous chemicals without permits.

10. Should accidents happen in the course of manufacture, storage, use and transportation of hazardous chemicals, the responsible unit and personnel shall immediately take emergency measures and notify of the units and personnel who have been endangered or are likely to be endangered while reporting the accidents to the local public security, environmental protection, economic and trade, and quality and technical supervision departments. Those who conceal the facts or make false statements of the accidents, once discovered, shall be investigated and punished sternly.

11. Waste or expired hazardous chemicals and used packages of hazardous chemicals shall be properly stored, disposed of, and treated according to hazardous waste disposal requirements.

12. The economic and trade commission, departments of public security, communications, environmental protection and chemical industry, and bureaus of quality and technical supervision at all levels shall, in cooperation with one another, disseminate regulations for chemical management widely, act according to the regulations and enforce law conscientiously.