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Enhancing the Operations of Joint Toxic Chemical Disaster Prevention Organizations

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To prevent pollution of the environment by toxic and hazardous chemical substances and to enhance the emergency response capabilities of business entities in the event of a toxic or hazardous chemical incident, the Ministry of Environment began to promote mutual aid groups among business entities in 1997. This initiative aims to foster collaboration between local environmental bureaus and capable business entities in order to facilitate the establishment of mutual aid groups. Mutual aid groups were officially incorporated into relevant regulations in 2008. Handlers engaged in the manufacture, use, storage, or transport of Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3 toxic chemical substances are required to establish mutual aid groups and implement protective, responsive, and disposal measures during incidents. Recognizing the relatively insufficient emergency capacity during transportation, the Administration has proactively guided business entities engaged in cross-regional transportation to establish mutual aid groups. Further amendments were introduced in 2014, incorporating additional penalties through legislative revisions. Subsequent developments include the approval of amendments to the "Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances Control Act" in 2019. These amendments not only expanded the scope of regulatory control to include hazardous concerned chemical substances, but also authorized the establishment of sub-laws for mutual aid, aiming to improve and refine the relevant regulations in this field. In addition to establishing an inquiry hotline to proactively guide business entities in forming mutual aid groups and ensuring the completion of mutual aid group establishment plans, the Administration also conducts various activities each year. These activities encompass the operation of the mutual aid group system, explanatory sessions, document checks, training observations, unannounced testing, and on-site drills. The primary purpose of these activities is to continually enhance the functioning of business entities' mutual aid groups. This serves to promote business entities' awareness of their societal and environmental responsibilities and to enhance their capabilities for mutual aid and emergency response.

The primary objective of mutual aid groups is to promote accurate understanding of mutual aid concepts. Mutual aid groups for toxic and concerned chemical substances can be categorized as: National mutual aid groups; regional mutual aid groups; and the mutual aid group of the Ministry of National Defense. National mutual aid groups are formed by business entities engaged in the transportation of chemical substances across two or more municipalities, counties, and/or cities. These groups are primarily organized based on the attributes of the business entities and the chemical supply chain. There are approximately 90 national mutual aid groups, comprising around 860 business entities. On the other hand, regional mutual aid groups are established by business entities engaged in the manufacture, use, and storage of chemical substances and located within the same municipality, county, or city. These groups are organized based on their respective regions or nature of operations. Across the country, there are around 70 regional mutual aid groups, involving approximately 3,300 business entities. Finally, due to the confidentiality of mutual aid operations , the Ministry of National Defense has established one mutual aid group comprising around 30 business entities. In total, the country has approximately 170 mutual aid groups, involving around 4,300 business entities.

Upon the organization of a mutual aid group, business entities can activate the support function of the mutual aid group when a toxic or concerned chemical substance incident occurs. This activation is carried out according to the support agreement signed by group members in the mutual aid group establishment plan, aiming to achieve effective and efficient industry mutual aid capabilities. Furthermore, not only can mutual aid groups conduct internal training to enhance business entities' incident response and handling capabilities on site, but also the competent authority can regularly arrange written verification and practical testing of mutual aid groups to assess the operational status and actual emergency capabilities of each group. Furthermore, not only can mutual aid groups conduct internal training to enhance business entities' incident response and handling capabilities on site, but also the competent authority can regularly arrange written verification and practical testing of mutual aid groups to assess the operational status and actual emergency capabilities of each group.

Figure 1: Current Status fo the Organization of Mutual Aid Groups for Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances
Figure 1: Current Status fo the Organization of Mutual Aid Groups for Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substances
Source: 
Ministry of Environment
Updated: 
2024-10-18
Hit: 
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