Venezuela. During the commemoration of the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer that was held in Caracas in mid-September, the director of Air Quality of the Ministry of the Environment, Fresnel Díaz, announced that it is planning to modify Decree 4,335 that regulates the consumption and production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), in force since 2006.
These changes are intended, as indicated by the official, to be on par with the new international lines and establish provisions to regulate hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).
In his speech, Díaz gave a detailed summary of what the country has achieved in terms of the environment in relation to the refrigeration industry. Some of the goals achieved are the following:
- The creation of the Venezuelan Industrial Reconversion Fund (Fondoin), which develops projects for companies to stop using ozone-depleting refrigerant gases and use new alternatives for cooling food, medicines, etc. - The Training Plan in Good Practices in Refrigeration, which has trained more than six thousand technicians and is accredited. - The conversion of 88 refrigerant gas companies throughout the national territory, and with it the elimination of 1,076 tons of ozone-depleting substances. - The disuse of Freon gases 11 and 12; restricting the use of Methyl Bromide and its mixtures; the closure of the company Productos Halogenados de Venezuela (Produven), four years before the provisions of the Montreal Protocol. - The implementation of 300 workshops for professionals and workers of the customs and tax service, since these people are the entry and exit door of refrigerant gases.
