EPA 608

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is the international treaty, signed in 1987, that controls the production of ozone-depleting substances. Nearly every nation has ratified it, and it has been strengthened several times. The Kigali Amendment added a global phasedown of HFCs because of their high GWP. In the United States, the Protocol is carried out through Title VI of the Clean Air Act, which EPA enforces.

Cfc

Production of CFCs such as R-11, R-12, and R-502 ended in the United States at the end of 1995. CFC systems still in service run only on recovered, recycled, or reclaimed refrigerant.

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Since January 1, 2010, new air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment may not be manufactured with R-22.

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Since January 1, 2020, R-22 may not be produced or imported. Existing R-22 systems are serviced with recovered, recycled, reclaimed, or previously produced refrigerant.

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Remaining HCFC production for servicing existing equipment, such as R-123 for chillers, ends in 2030, completing the HCFC phaseout.

A phaseout ends production and import. It does not ban the use of existing equipment. It is legal to keep servicing an R-22 or R-11 system as long as the refrigerant comes from recovered, recycled, reclaimed, or existing stocks and all Section 608 rules are followed.

Section 608 of the Clean Air Act and EPA's regulations at 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F govern refrigerant used in stationary refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment. (Motor vehicle air conditioning is covered separately by Section 609, which has its own technician certification.)

Who Must Be Certified

A technician is anyone who performs maintenance, service, or repair that could reasonably be expected to release refrigerant, including attaching and detaching hoses and gauges, adding or removing refrigerant, and opening the refrigerant circuit, or anyone who disposes of an appliance in a way that violates the integrity of the refrigerant circuit. Technicians must hold the certification type that matches the equipment. An apprentice may work without certification only under the direct supervision of a certified technician, and for no more than two years. Work that cannot release refrigerant, such as painting a cabinet, changing a fan belt, or replacing an air filter, does not require certification.

The Venting Prohibition

It is illegal to knowingly vent or release ozone-depleting refrigerants and their substitutes, including HFCs and HFOs, while maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing of an appliance. Only de minimis releases associated with good-faith efforts to recover refrigerant are permitted.

Permitted(DeMinimisorExempt)	Prohibited
Smallreleaseswhileconnectingordisconnectinghosesduring	Ventingrefrigerantto"blowout"asystemortoflushacoil
a good -faith recovery effort using low-loss fittings ,
Purging non-condensables from recovery equipment or from a chiller'spurgeunit	Using pure refrigerant as a leak -test gas and releasing it

Permitted(DeMinimisorExempt)	Prohibited
Releasing a leak -test mixture of dry nitrogen with a trace	Releasingthe"holdingcharge"ofrefrigerantinnewequipment
amountofHCFC-22	insteadofrecoveringit
ReleasesofcertainsubstitutesEPAhasexempted suchas ,	Cuttinglinesonanappliancebeforeitsrefrigeranthasbeen
ammoniainindustrialrefrigeration carbondioxide water and , , ,	recovered
hydrocarbonsinsomesmallenduses

The Sales Restriction

The sale of ozone-depleting refrigerants and non-exempt substitute refrigerants, including HFCs, is restricted to technicians certified under Section 608 or Section 609, regardless of container size. Sellers must verify the buyer's certification. The one notable exception is small cans of 2 lb or less of non-ozone-depleting refrigerant for motor vehicle air conditioning, fitted with a self-sealing valve. Refrigerant that has been recovered may be sold to a new owner only after it has been reclaimed to the AHRI Standard 700 purity specification.