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
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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
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