The European Commission recently amended (EU 2016/918) the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation, updating the list of substances with a harmonised classification. Companies have to apply the revised classifications for the safe use of these chemicals by 1 March 2018 at the latest.

The amendment (the ninth adaptation to technical progress) introduces or updates the harmonised classifications for forty-seven substances in the list of harmonised classification (Annex VI to the CLP Regulation). Two entries have been deleted, the existing classifications for bisphenol A, among others, have been revised, and classifications for eight anticoagulant rodenticide active substances have been updated or introduced.

In total, new harmonised classifications have been assigned to twenty-six substances or groups of substances that have not been previously classified, such as lead in massive or powder form. These changes shall apply by 1 March 2018, but they can be applied before this date on a voluntary basis.

Companies have to comply with the new requirements from 1 March 2018 onwards. This means also that existing classifications and REACH registrations should be updated with the new information by this date.

In addition, the ninth adaptation deletes Table 3.2 from Annex VI to the CLP Regulation which contains the harmonised classification and labelling according to the repealed Dangerous Substances Directive (DSD). As of 1 June 2017, these are no longer required either for product classification and labelling, or to be listed on the safety data sheets for mixtures.

The Commission has also published another amendment (the eighth adaptation to technical progress) aligning the CLP Regulation with the fifth revision of the UN’s Globally Harmonised System (GHS) of classification and labelling of chemicals. This adaptation includes, for example, a revision of the criteria for skin corrosion/irritation and serious eye damage/eye irritation. The new rules apply from 1 February 2018, but may be applied voluntarily before this date.

In November 2014, the Ministry of Defence launched a public consultation about where the storage site for the reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) from twenty-seven de-fuelled submarines should be located.

The consultation ran for 14 weeks from 14 November 2014 to 20 February 2015 and gathered views on three main topic areas:  the Strategic Environmental Assessment (Environmental Report);  the process and criteria being used to compare the shortlisted storage sites; and  the shortlisted sites and the differences between them.

Capenhurst Nuclear Services (CNS), Capenhurst has been selected as the preferred site for the location of the interim Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) store, using an existing storage facility on the site, with a site-level contingency of a new build store. The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), Aldermaston site was named as a contingency site in the event that a contract cannot be agreed with CNS.

The public consultation to choose the site for the storage of the RPVs ensured that the site selection process was open and robust, increased the breadth of the assessment criteria and emphasised the importance of safety and security to the public.

The world’s largest offshore windfarm, Hornsea Project Two has received development consent from Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark.

When complete, the windfarm will deliver up to 1,800 megawatts of low carbon electricity to around 1.8 million UK homes.

The windfarm would create up to 1,960 construction jobs and 580 operational and maintenance jobs. If built to the full capacity, the investment would total around £6bn providing a great opportunity for economic growth in the Humber region and beyond.