Wis. Stat. § 100.45 — WI Code / Chapter 100 / Section 100.45
Mobile air conditioners.
Status: in_force

(1) Definitions. In this section:

(a) “Approved refrigerant recovery equipment” means equipment that the department or an independent standards testing organization approved by the department determines will minimize the release of ozone-depleting refrigerant when the equipment is used to transfer ozone-depleting refrigerant from mobile air conditioners into storage tanks.

(ad) “Approved refrigerant recycling equipment” means equipment that the department or an independent standards testing organization approved by the department determines will treat ozone-depleting refrigerant removed from a mobile air conditioner so that the ozone-depleting refrigerant meets the standard of purity for recycled refrigerant from mobile air conditioners established under sub. (5) (a) 1.

(ag) “Distributor” has the meaning given in s. 218.0101 (6) .

(ar) “Manufacturer” has the meaning given in s. 218.0101 (20) , except that, if more than one person satisfies the definition in s. 218.0101 (20) with respect to a motor vehicle, “manufacturer” means the person who installs the mobile air conditioner that is in the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is distributed for sale in this state.

(b) “Mobile air conditioner” means mechanical vapor compression refrigeration equipment used to cool the driver or passenger compartment of a motor vehicle.

(c) “Motor vehicle” has the meaning given in s. 340.01 (35) .

(d) “Ozone-depleting refrigerant” means a substance used in refrigeration that is or contains a class I substance, as defined in 42 USC 7671 (3) or a class II substance, as defined in 42 USC 7671 (4).

(dm) “State agency” means any office, department, agency, institution of higher education, association, society, or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law which is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including the legislature and the courts, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation, the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and the Fox River Navigational System Authority.

(e) “Trailer refrigeration equipment” means mechanical vapor compression refrigeration equipment used to cool a trailer designed for carrying property wholly on its own structure and for being drawn by a motor vehicle.

(2) Distribution of mobile air conditioners.

(a) A manufacturer or distributor may not distribute for sale in this state a mobile air conditioner that contains ozone-depleting refrigerant and that is original equipment in a new motor vehicle.

(b) The department may waive the application of par. (a) to a manufacturer or distributor for a period of one year if any of the following applies:

1. All substitutes for ozone-depleting refrigerant are toxic and their use is not safe for consumers, industry or the environment.

2. Substitutes for ozone-depleting refrigerant are not available in sufficient quantities for the manufacturer or distributor to comply with par. (a) .

3. An acceptable mobile air conditioner cannot be manufactured in sufficient quantities for the manufacturer to comply with par. (a) and the progress made by the manufacturer or distributor toward complying with par. (a) is comparable with the progress made by other manufacturers and distributors toward complying with par. (a) .

(3) Sale of refrigerant.

(a) After December 31, 1990, no person may sell or offer to sell any ozone-depleting refrigerant in a container holding less than 15 pounds of ozone-depleting refrigerant.

(b) No person may sell or offer to sell new or reclaimed ozone-depleting refrigerant for use in a mobile air conditioner or in trailer refrigeration equipment except to one of the following:

1. A person who intends to resell the ozone-depleting refrigerant.

2. A person who is properly trained and certified as specified by the federal environmental protection agency under 42 USC 7671h .

(c) No person may offer to sell, sell or otherwise transfer possession of ozone-depleting refrigerant that was removed from a mobile air conditioner but has not been reclaimed unless all of the following apply:

1. The person or another person uses approved refrigerant recovery equipment to remove the ozone-depleting refrigerant from mobile air conditioners.

2. The person provides to the department upon request the identity of each person to whom it sells or otherwise transfers possession of the recovered ozone-depleting refrigerant.

3. The person informs each person to whom it sells or otherwise transfers possession of the ozone-depleting refrigerant that the ozone-depleting refrigerant has not been reclaimed and, if the ozone-depleting refrigerant has not been recycled, that the ozone-depleting refrigerant has not been recycled.

4. All of the recovered ozone-depleting refrigerant is conveyed in a safe and timely manner to a refrigerant reclamation facility that is recognized by the department or to a person who is properly trained and certified as specified by the federal environmental protection agency under 42 USC 7671h .

(4) Servicing. No person, including a state agency, may perform motor vehicle repair that releases or may release ozone-depleting refrigerant from a mobile air conditioner or trailer refrigeration equipment or may install or service a mobile air conditioner or trailer refrigeration equipment that contains ozone-depleting refrigerant unless all of the following apply:

(a) The person does not use ozone-depleting refrigerant for cleaning purposes including to clean the interior or exterior surfaces of mobile air conditioners or trailer refrigeration equipment.

(b) Whenever the person removes ozone-depleting refrigerant from a mobile air conditioner or trailer refrigeration equipment the person pumps the ozone-depleting refrigerant into storage tanks.

(c) The person or another person does one of the following with any used ozone-depleting refrigerant:

1. Recycles the used ozone-depleting refrigerant using approved refrigerant recycling equipment at the establishment where the ozone-depleting refrigerant is removed or at another location and either reuses the recycled ozone-depleting refrigerant in servicing a mobile air conditioner or trailer refrigeration equipment or sells or otherwise transfers possession of the recycled ozone-depleting refrigerant for conveyance to a refrigerant reclamation facility that is recognized by the department.

2. Removes the used ozone-depleting refrigerant using approved refrigerant recovery equipment and sells or otherwise transfers possession of the recovered ozone-depleting refrigerant in compliance with sub. (3) (c) .

(d) The individuals who use the equipment under par. (c) have been properly trained and certified as specified by the federal environmental protection agency under 42 USC 7671h .

(e) The person does not knowingly or negligently release ozone-depleting refrigerant to the environment, except for minimal releases that occur during efforts to recover or recycle ozone-depleting refrigerant removed from mobile air conditioners or trailer refrigeration equipment.

(f) The person inspects and, if necessary, repairs mobile air conditioners or trailer refrigeration equipment that leaks or is suspected of leaking before putting additional ozone-depleting refrigerant into those mobile air conditioners or trailer refrigeration equipment.

(h) The person has been properly trained and certified as specified by the federal environmental protection agency under 42 USC 7671h .

(5) Department duties. The department shall do all of the following:

(a) Promulgate rules for the administration of this section including establishing all of the following:

1. A standard of purity for recycled refrigerant from mobile air conditioners that is based on recognized national industry standards.

3. Fees to cover the costs of administering this section.

(b) Identify approved refrigerant recycling equipment and approved refrigerant recovery equipment or approve independent testing organizations that may identify approved refrigerant recycling equipment and approved refrigerant recovery equipment.

(5e) Department powers.

(a) Except as provided in par. (b) , the department may promulgate rules providing that any portion of sub. (3) or (4) applies with respect to a substance used as a substitute for an ozone-depleting refrigerant.

(b) The department may not promulgate rules prohibiting the sale or offering for sale of any substance used as a substitute for an ozone-depleting refrigerant in a container holding less than 15 pounds of the substance or regulating an individual’s noncommercial use of such a substance that is sold in such a container.

(6) Penalties.

(a) Any person who violates sub. (2) shall be required to forfeit $1,000. Each motor vehicle distributed in violation of sub. (2) constitutes a violation.

(b) Any person who violates sub. (3) shall be required to forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $1,000. Each sale in violation of sub. (3) constitutes a violation.

(c) Any person who violates sub. (4) shall be required to forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $1,000. Each repair, installation or servicing in violation of sub. (4) constitutes a violation.

History: 1989 a. 284 ; 1991 a. 97 ; 1993 a. 243 ; 1997 a. 27 , 165 ; 1999 a. 31 ; 2001 a. 16 ; 2005 a. 335 ; 2009 a. 28 ; 2011 a. 7 , 10 , 187 ; 2013 a. 166 s. 77 ; 2013 a. 312 .