United States.
The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) New Meaningful Alternative Policies (Snap) program has proposed listing as acceptable, subject to restrictions, the use of propane in certain commercial refrigeration applications.
This action also proposes to exempt propane from the Clean Air Act Section 608's prohibition of ventilation, release, or disposal on the basis that it does not pose a threat to the environment.
For refrigeration, epa proposes the list as acceptable, subject to conditions of use, the use of propane in new commercial ice machines, new water chillers, and new very low temperature cooling equipment.
For the modification of residential and light commercial air conditioners and heat pumps, the EPA proposes to list as unacceptable all refrigerants identified as Class 3 in the ANSI/ASHRAE standard 34-2.013. These include, according to the agency, refrigerant products sold under the names R-22a, 22a, Blue Sky 22a Refrigerant, 22a Express Refrigerant, Duracool-22a, EC-22, Ecofreeez EF-22a, EF-22a, Envirosafe 22a, ES-22a, Frost 22a, HC-22a, Maxi-fridge, MX-22a, Oz-Chill 22a, fresh priority and 22a TEK red.
For new residential and commercial air conditioners and heat pumps, refrigerated warehouses, centrifugal coolers, and positive displacement chillers, epa proposes the use of propylene and R443A to the list of unacceptable.
In addition, EPA proposes to list as unacceptable a number of HFCs in specific end uses, such as new centrifugal chillers, new positive displacement chillers, new cold storage tanks, new retail food refrigeration, and new household refrigerators and freezers.
