The EPA's Updated Refrigerant Management
Requirements
What Reclaimers Need to Know
What are the Section 608 regulations?
Section 608 of the Clean Air Act prohibits the knowing release of refrigerant during the maintenance, service,
repair, or disposal of air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. The EPA requires proper refrigerant
management practices by reclaimers, owners and operators of refrigeration and air-conditioning systems,
technicians, and others.
What's changing in these regulations?
In the fall of 2016, the EPA updated the existing requirements related to ozon
depleting substances (ODS), such as CFCs and HCFCs, and extended them to
substitutes such as MFCs.1 The updates include:
•	More stringent requirements for repairing leaks in larger appliances;
•	New recordkeeping for the disposal of appliances containing five to 50
pounds of refrigerant;
•	New reporting requirement that kicks in when larger appliances leak
125% or more of their charge in a calendar year;
•	Restricting the sale of HFC refrigerant to technicians certified under
Sections 608 or 609 of the Clean Air Act; and
•	Changes to improve readability and simplify compliance.
How will the new requirements affect reclaimers?
Starting January 1, 2017, reclaimers will need to comply with the revised provisions.2 Changes to the
existing regulations are underlined.
•	The EPA is establishing reclamation standards for HFCs. PFCs, and HFQs based on AHRI Standard 700-
2016, Specifications for Refrigerants. Reclaimers must:
o Analyze each batch of OPS and non-QDS refrigerant being reclaimed;
o Verify that each batch of reclaimed refrigerant meets the AHRI 700-2016 standard:
o Release no more than 1.5 percent of the refrigerant during the reclamation process; and
o Dispose of wastes from the reclamation process (e.g., oils) in compliance with all applicable
laws and regulations (e.g., Resource Conservation and Recovery Act).
•	Reclaimers must maintain records of the quantity of each refrigerant sent for reclamation; the mass of
each CFC, HCFC, and substitute refrigerant fe.a.. HFCs) reclaimed; the mass of waste products from
the reclamation process; and customer and sales records.
In addition to protecting
the ozone layer, the
EPA estimates that the
updated requirements
will decrease annual
greenhouse gas
emissions by
7.3 million MTCCtee—
that's equivalent to
taking 1.5 million cars
off the road per year.
1	These regulations do not extend to substitutes that have been exempted from the venting prohibition, such as ammonia.
2	This fact sheet highlights select changes that may be of most interest to this community. Please see the regulations for the full
changes/requirements.

-------
• Reclaimers must submit annual reports to the EPA noting the mass of ODS and substitute refrigerant
received for reclamation by refrigerant type, the mass of refrigerant reclaimed by refrigerant type, and
the mass of waste products from the reclamation process.
o The EPA is now providing an electronic form for this report and encourages reclaimers to send
them to 608reports@epa.aov.
Additional Resources
Update to the Refrigerant Management Requirements Final Rule:
www.epa.gov/section608/revised-section-608-refrigerant-management-regulations
The EPA's Section 608 Webpage: www.epa.gov/section608
AHRI 700-2016 Standard, Specifications for Refrigerants:
http://www.ahrinet.org/App Content/ahri/files/STANDARDS/AHRI/AHRI Standard 700-2016.pdf
The EPA Stratospheric Ozone Contact: spdcomment@epa.gov
Printed on 100% recycled/recyclable paper with a minimum	0ffice of Air and epa43oVi6°069
50% post-consumer waste using vegetable-based inks.	Qpni-pmhpr

-------