In a proposal, the EPA is seeking to extend its Clean Air Act (CAA) Refrigerant Management Program covering air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment to non-ozone-depleting substances (ODS) that are Green House Gasses (GHGs). Specifically, the proposal would add hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a non-ODS that contributes to climate change, to the list of regulated refrigerants. HFC-134a, the most commonly used HFC, has a global warming potential of 1,430, which means it traps that many times as much heat per kilogram as CO2 does over 100 years.
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In addition, the proposal would lower the threshold at which leaks of refrigerants from equipment must be repaired and require regular inspections of equipment containing minimum amounts of refrigerants. Read more for the provisions of the proposal.
Read more here.