User Guide to Thresholds and Classification - Environmental ...

10User Guide for Thresholds and ClassificationsFigure 1.1 overviews the process for determining whether a substance is hazardous and requires a HSNOAct approval to be imported or manufactured.This guide has separate sections for each hazardous property (see ‗Classes for the hazardous properties‘ insection 1.1.4 above).While many substances trigger only one threshold, other substances trigger more than one. Therefore, it isnecessary to evaluate each substance against the thresholds in each section. This evaluation is amoderately complex technical task.We have developed this guide assuming you have sufficient scientific and technical knowledge andexperience to determine whether a substance is hazardous. If you do not have the ability to address thetechnical issues, seek advice from people who do.To evaluate a substance collect as much relevant information about the characteristics of the substance asyou reasonably can. Then compare this information with the criteria within each property that may trigger thethreshold.For advice about evaluating the quality of data, see section 1.1.4 above.Note that an inability to access the information does not necessarily mean there is no information. If you donot have adequate information, use your technical judgement, including answering the following questions.Do similar substances have properties that would give reliable guidance?Is it plainly unreasonable to expect the substance to have such a property?Should this gap be referred to an expert in the field?If a substance does not trigger a threshold, then it is not ‗hazardous‘ and does not need an approval underthe HSNO Act. However, if a substance does trigger a threshold, it cannot be imported or manufactured inNew Zealand without an approval.If the substance is not covered by an existing approval, including Group Standards, then you need to makean application before importing or manufacturing it (see Figure 1.1).The EPA provides a Status of Substance service if you wish to obtain informal advice about whether asubstance is hazardous and/or covered by an existing approval.January 2012 EPA0109