Page 36 - Plastics News December 2017

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Brexit to set off complications for UK chemical firms

he European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has warned of ECHA.The respective REACH Authorization will lose its
Tthe major impact on British plastics chemical suppliers legal effect with the date of the U.K. withdrawal” and so
and their trading partners in Europe, if the United Kingdom the EU purchaser will not be able to buy these chemicals
pushes ahead with quitting the European Union (EU) as from this British supplier. Another potential risk for U.K.
planned, on March 29, 2019. companies is over biocides. The EU is undertaking a review
of all biocidal chemicals used in Europe, to check their
It has released a database seeking to advise chemical
producers of how their legal obligations will change. ECHA safety, under the EU’s biocidal products regulation (BPR).
warns British companies: “If your business is in any way Moreover “it will not be a problem to find a continental
part of a supply chain that links you to businesses located Europe replacement” to British suppliers of plastics
within the 27 EU member states remaining after the U.K.’s ingredients. And while “import regulations can be modified
withdrawal, you will face some fundamental changes.” on demand within the U.K. relatively quickly” to ease
Importantly, U.K.-based suppliers of any plastics chemicals imports into Britain of plastics and ingredients, for some
and additives (monomers are usually registered, but not continent-wide plastics trade issues affecting the U.K.,
polymers) will have an obligation by May 2018 to register “finding a solution with all EU participants on certain
chemicals under EU chemical control system REACH that topics might be much harder,” he predicted.
are made or imported in annual quantities of between 1
and 100 metric tons. On March 29, those registrations
Recycling fire cleanup set to

begin in West Virginia

leanup at the site of a plastics recycling fire in
CWest Virginia one that burned for eight days and
destroyed almost 90 million pounds of plastic scrap
and pellets begin this month. No cause has been
identified for the fire, which broke out at a warehouse
site covering 450,000 square feet spread over three
buildings, operated in Parkersburg by Intercontinental
Export Import Inc. The fire first was reported October
21 but wasn't fully extinguished until October 29. The
will become null and void, following a Brexit. As a incident remains under investigation. State officials
result, their customers based in the EU or the European have approved a plan of corrective action submitted
Economic Area — or EEA countries of Norway, Iceland and by IEI. The plan covers air monitoring, ash and burned
Liechtenstein — may have to re-register such chemicals material disposal and construction of a stormwater
themselves if they want to continue buying them from the barrier. Total cleanup time is estimated at almost
British supplier that registered them in the first place.
seven months.
There are two other options, said the ECHA outlines. IEI officials initially said that some documents about the
The British chemical manufacturer will have to relocate contents of the warehouse were destroyed in the fire.
to the remaining EU or EEA or appoint what is called an The firm later filed more than 500 pages of safety data
"Only Representative" within the remaining EU/EEA. That sheets and other information with the state. An initial
company or person would be authorized to make the list provided included plastics such as glycol-modified
relevant filing under REACH and be legally responsible for PET and several types of nylon. Shortly after the fire,
ensuring a British exporter complies with EU rules. Also, four other IEI recycling sites in the state were inspected
there are significant changes where a U.K. company was for safety. IEI is part of SirNaik Group, a collection of
a lead registrant for registrations of chemicals involving recycling, scrap and compounding businesses in West
other companies, including those in the remaining EU. Virginia and nearby states. No employees were in the
After Brexit, these registrations would also expire, warned plant when the fire was reported.

Plastics News December 2017 36