United States HFC phase-down takes shape

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will administer the nation’s phase-down of HFCs by 85 per cent over the next decade and a half, in line with the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

Part of the initiative will include a push to recover and reclaim existing refrigerant, support the development of alternative refrigerants and prevent a black market in HFCs from flourishing as it has in Europe.

A rule released by the EPA is includes tough compliance and enforcement, roll out restrictions on HFC usage in numerous applications and introduce programs to manage the legitimate HFC market, including product identification and tracking.

To quash illegitimate HFCs, an inter-agency task force will be run by the Department of Homeland Security along with the two EPA departments: The Office of Air and Radiation and the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.