EPA Section 608 Reduces Refrigerant Gas Emissions
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by: DanielStouffer | Total views: 85 | Word Count: 434
Under epa section 608 of the U.S. Clean Air Act, regulations are set forth regarding the handling, recovery and recycling of refrigerants during service, maintenance, repair, or disposal. Refrigerant gases are a major contributor to global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer because they contain harmful chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
EPA section 608 states that it is against the law to intentionally vent refrigerants into the air during routine maintenance, servicing, repair or disposal of equipment. Discharge of refrigerants during normal operation is okay, so long as monitoring is in place.
EPA section 608 explains the current restrictions on the use of refrigerant gases, the guidelines for their phase-out, the eventual elimination of the chemical compounds and the accepted and approved substitutes. The regulation applies to many commercial and industrial uses. They include retail food refrigeration, cold storage warehouses, chillers, industrial process refrigeration, packaged air conditioners and heat pumps, and transport refrigeration.
There are major recordkeeping regulations under epa section 608 for technicians, owners and operators of systems using refrigerant gases, wholesalers of refrigerants and reclaimers. Anyone involved in any part of the process that involves refrigerants must keep proper records outlining the date, type of service and amount of refrigerant involved. These records are required to be submitted to the EPA for compliance purposes. Those who fail to follow the law could be subject to fines of up to $32,500 per day per violation.
EPA section 608 outlines the leak repair requirements applicable to commercial refrigeration, air conditioning systems, heating ventilation and air conditioning systems, and industrial process refrigeration appliances. Once a leak occurs the facility owner is required to keep precise records of the quantity of discharged gas.
Leak repairs must be fixed within a 30 day period as spelled out by EPA section 608. This time frame is decided by the projected discharge over a 12 month period rather than the total quantity of refrigerant loss. To ensure that the information is correctly tracked, regulations dictate that companies maintain and submit accurate records.
Technicians must follow strict evacuation requirements when they open cooling and refrigerant systems at any time, including during maintenance service and repair. Refrigerant reclaimers who reprocess used refrigerant back to a specified purity level must be certified by the EPA.
A number of topics are covered under epa section 608, as well as specific guidelines related to various issues and circumstances involving refrigerants. These include protocols for service technicians, refrigerant sales and distribution guidelines and refrigerant reclamation and leak repair requirements. Those who manufacture or import refrigerant recovery and recycling equipment must have it tested by an EPA-approved facility and provide certification to buyers.
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