Hazardous substances

National targets

Prevent injury and environmental damage caused by chemicals
Emissions and use of hazardous substances will not cause injury to health, harm ecosystems, or damage the productivity of the natural environment and its capacity for self-renewal. Concentrations of the most hazardous chemicals in the environment will be reduced towards background values for naturally occurring substances and close to zero concentrations for man-made synthetic substances.

Reduce emissions of priority substances
Releases of certain ecological toxins (see the priority list in figure table 8.3) will be eliminated or substantially reduced by 2005 or 2010

Eliminate emissions within one generation
Releases and use of substances that pose a serious threat to health or the environment will be continuously reduced with a view to eliminating them within one generation (by the year 2020).

Reduce risks
The risk that releases and use of chemicals will cause injury to health or environmental damage will be minimised.

Stop pollution from contaminated soil
The dispersal of ecological toxins from contaminated soil will be stopped or substantially reduced. Steps to reduce the dispersal of other hazardous substances will be taken on the basis of case-by-case risk assessments.

Stop pollution from contaminated sediments
Contamination of sediments with substances that are hazardous to health or the environment will not give rise to serious pollution problems.