Industrial chemicals are used by many businesses across Victoria. If industrial chemicals, goods containing industrial chemicals, or waste consisting of, containing, or contaminated with industrial chemicals are not managed properly, they can cause risks of harm to human health or the environment.
What is the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard
The Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) is a national standard for managing the import, manufacture, export, use, and disposal of industrial chemicals. IChEMS applies to the environmental risks from chemicals that have an industrial use.
We'll use IChEMS when performing our regulatory functions, including when making permission decisions and monitoring or assessing compliance with the environment protection framework.
To learn more about IChEMS, visit the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) website(opens in a new window).
Minimum Standards
The IChEMS Minimum Standards apply to all industrial chemicals and set baseline measures for managing environmental risks.
To learn more, visit the IChEMS Minimum Standards on the DCCEEW website.
Scheduling decisions
The Commonwealth Minister for the Environment and Water may make standards under the Industrial Chemicals Environment Management (Register) Act 2021(opens in a new window) for managing environmental risks from industrial chemicals.
These standards are known as scheduling decisions and include risk management measures describing ways to eliminate or reduce the risks of harm (including by prohibiting or restricting industrial chemicals or specific uses of such chemicals).
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Public consultation will take place before new scheduling decisions are made. Information provided by businesses as part of public consultation is important to make sure that proposed standards are fit for purpose.
Have your say
To have your say, learn more about past and present consultations, or subscribe for updates, visit Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard - IChEMS on the DCCEEW website.
IChEMS and the environment protection framework
General environmental duty
Businesses have a responsibility to reduce the risk of harm to human health and the environment from their activities under the general environmental duty(opens in a new window). This includes managing any industrial chemicals, goods containing industrial chemicals, and waste consisting of, containing, or contaminated with industrial chemicals.
IChEMS Minimum Standards and scheduling decisions are part of the state of knowledge(opens in a new window) and inform what is expected under the general environmental duty.
Businesses need to review their current risk assessments and control measures, including key elements of any risk management and monitoring programs that are in place, to ensure that they are still appropriate based on the IChEMS Minimum Standards and relevant scheduling decisions.
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Waste duties
Under the Environment Protection Act 2017 and the Environment Protection Regulations 2021, there are waste (opens in a new window)duties(opens in a new window) that apply to managing, transporting and depositing waste consisting of, containing, or contaminated with industrial chemicals.
Businesses who are complying with the general environmental duty and waste and permissioning obligations, would likely already be satisfying the IChEMS Minimum Standards and risk management measures for chemicals listed in the IChEMS Register.
Permissions
We'll ask you to provide information on industrial chemicals when you apply for a new or to amend an existing permission(opens in a new window).
We must refuse to make certain permission decisions where the activity poses an unacceptable risk of harm to human health or the environment, for example where the manufacture or use of an industrial chemical is prohibited under IChEMS. We'll use the IChEMS Minimum Standards and scheduling decisions when making permission decisions.
Where permission holders are required to develop a risk management and monitoring program for their activities, this is expected to address the IChEMS Minimum Standards and relevant scheduling decisions.
Where permission holders are required to provide Permission Information and Performance Statement, this may include information on industrial chemicals related to your activity, approximate volumes or concentrations, and how such chemicals are managed.
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