Section 609 of the Clean Air Act: Motor Vehicle Air Conditioning Protecting the Ozone Layer The stratospheric ozone layer shields the Earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. Emissions of certain synthetic chemicals - including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) - that are commonly used as refrigerants, solvents, and insulating foams destroy the ozone layer and have created an "ozone hole" over the South Pole. In addition, many of these ozone-depleting substances (ODS), as well as their substitutes - including hydrofluorocarbons (MFCs) - are greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. The purpose of this fact sheet is to help understand the requirements of the motor vehicle air conditioning (MVAC) Program. Environmental Impact of Motor Vehicle Air Conditioners Older model MVACs used CFC-12 (also known by various trade names, such as Freon ®). When CFCs leak from MVACs into the atmosphere, strong radiation in the atmosphere will break the molecules apart and release chlorine atoms, each of which can destroy over 100,000 ozone molecules. MVACs can also have serious impacts on climate. For example, the global warming potential (GWP) of CFC-12 is approximately 10,000 times greater than that of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Since the mid 1990s, MVACs use HFC refrigerant (R-134a) that do not deplete the ozone layer, but do have high GWP that is approximately 1,400 times greater than carbon dioxide. In the U.S., vehicle air conditioners consume over 7 billion gallons of gasoline every year, emitting over 58 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Refrigerant leakage adds the equivalent of over 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year. Because of the potential damage that refrigerants can do to the environment, Section 609 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) directs EPA to establish requirements to prevent the release of refrigerants during the servicing of MVACs and MVAC-like appliances and to require recycling of used refrigerants. MVAC-like appliances are mechanical vapor compression, open-drive compressor appliances used to cool the driver's or passenger's compartment of a non-road vehicle, including agricultural and construction vehicles. 608 vs. 609 MVAC (609) Passenger cars Buses* Trucks MVAC-like (609 or 608) Off-road vehicles Non-MVAC (608) Trains Aircraft - passenger & cargo Refrigerated trailers Ship/boat - passenger & cargo * lfR-22, then 608 ------- Venting Prohibition Section 608 of the CAA prohibits venting any ODS refrigerant, or substitutes for an ODS refrigerant, into the atmosphere. This prohibition on venting has been in effect since the early 1990s. Section 609 Regulatory Requirements: Motor Vehicle Air-Conditioning SALES RESTRICTION Section 609 prohibits the sale of small cans (less than 20 pounds) of CFC-12 to anyone other than an EPA-certified technician. TECHNICIAN TRAINING ^^ AND CERTIFICATION fc^ Technicians repairing or servicing CFC-12 or HFC-134a MVACs must be trained and certified by an EPA-approved organization. Certification i obtained by passing an EPA-approved examination. RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS MVAC service shops must maintain records of the names and addresses of facilities to which the refrigerant they recover is sent. Service shops are also required to maintain records (on-site) showing that all service technicians are properly certified and must c e rtify to E PA th at th ey own approved equipment. Section 609 Regulatory Requirements SAFE DISPOSAL REQUIREMENTS When refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment enters the waste stream, th final person in the disposal chain must remove (or make certain that their customers have removed) refrigerants prior to appliance disposal. EQUIPMENT CERTIFICATION jk REQUIREMENTS MVAC service shops must certify to EPA that they have acquired and are properly using approved refrigerant recovery equipment. Service shops must also verify that each person using the equipment has been properly trained and certified. APPROVED EQUIPMENT Technicians repairing or servicing MVACs using CFC-12 or HFC-134a must use refrigerant recovery equipment that is approved by EPA. EPA Ozone Layer Protection Website: epa.gov/ozone/strathome.html EPA Section 609 Website: epa.gov/ozone/title6/609/ Additional Resources EPA Phaseout of Ozone-Depleting Substances Website: epa.gov/ozone/title6/phaseout/ Approved equipment information website: epa.gov/ozone/title6/609/technicians/appequip.html EPA Stratospheric Ozone Information Hotline: 1-800-296-1996 United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA 430-F-10-039 ------- |