United States.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is updating safe handling requirements under Section 608 that currently apply to ozone-depleting refrigerants and extend to substitutes such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
These changes reinforce the existing program, in particular by demanding a number of industry best practices. This action reduces climate-damaging emissions from air conditioning and refrigeration equipment. The EPA estimates that annual emission reductions by this rule will be approximately 7.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2eq) and 114 weighted metric tons of ozone depletion.
This rule makes the following changes to existing requirements under Section 608.
1) Extends the requirements of the Refrigerant Management Program to cover substitute refrigerants, such as HFCs. It should be noted that the EPA has previously exempted some substitutes from the Section 608 ventilation ban through previous rules. Such substitutes are also exempt from the requirements of this rule.
2) Lowers leak rate thresholds that result in the obligation to repair refrigeration and air conditioning equipment containing 50 or more pounds of refrigerant.
- Decreases from 35% to 30% for industrial process cooling (IPR)
- Decreases from 35% to 20% for commercial refrigeration equipment
- Decreases from 15% to 10% for comfort refrigeration equipment
3) Requires quarterly/annual leak inspections or continuous monitoring devices for refrigeration and air conditioning equipment that have exceeded the leak rate threshold
4) Requires owners/operators to report to the EPA if systems containing 50 or more pounds of refrigerant lose 125% or more of their full charge in a calendar year.
5) Extends the sales restriction to HFCs and other non-exempt substitutes, with the exception of small cans (containing 2 pounds or less) of non-exempt substitutes (e.g., primarily HFC-134a) for motor vehicle air conditioning service. These small cans can continue to be sold without technician certification, as long as the small cans have a self-closing valve to reduce coolant emissions.
6) Requires technicians to keep track of the refrigerant recovered during system disposal with a load size of 5-50 pounds.
