Title 40—Protection of Environment--Volume 1
PART 82—PROTECTION OF STRATOSPHERIC OZONE
§ 82.102   Applicability.
(a) In the case of substances designated as class I or class II substances as of February 11, 1993, the applicable date of the requirements in this paragraph (a) is May 15, 1993. In the case of any substance designated as a class I or class II substance after February 11, 1993, the applicable date of the requirements in this paragraph (a) is one year after the designation of such substance as a class I or class II substance unless otherwise specified in the designation. On the applicable date indicated in this paragraph (a), the requirements of this subpart shall apply to the following containers and products except as exempted under paragraph (c) of this section:
(1) All containers in which a class I or class II substance is stored or transported.
(2) All products containing a class I substance.
(3) All products directly manufactured with a process that uses a class I substance, unless otherwise exempted by this subpart or, unless the Administrator determines for a particular product that there are no substitute products or manufacturing processes for such product that do not rely on the use of a class I substance, that reduce overall risk to human health and the environment, and that are currently or potentially available. If the Administrator makes such a determination for a particular product, then the requirements of this subpart are effective for such product no later than January 1, 2015.
(b) Applicable January 1, 2015 in any case, or one year after any determination between May 15, 1993 and January 1, 2015, by the Administrator for a particular product that there are substitute products or manufacturing processes for such product that do not rely on the use of a class I or class II substance, that reduce the overall risk to human health and the environment, and that are currently or potentially available, the requirements of this subpart shall apply to the following:
(1) All products containing a class II substance.
(2) All products manufactured with a process that uses a class II substance.
(c) The requirements of this subpart shall not apply to products manufactured prior to May 15, 1993, provided that the manufacturer submits documentation to EPA upon request showing that the product was manufactured prior to that date.
§ 82.104   Definitions.
(a) Class I substance means any substance designated as class I in 40 CFR part 82, appendix A to subpart A, including chlorofluorocarbons, halons, carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform and any other substance so designated by the Agency at a later date.
(b) Class II substance means any substance designated as class II in 40 CFR part 82, appendix A to subpart A, including hydrochlorofluorocarbons and any other substance so designated by the Agency at a later date.
(c) Completely destroy means to cause the destruction of a controlled substance by one of the destruction processes approved by the Parties and listed in § 82.3 at a demonstrable destruction efficiency of 98 percent or more or a greater destruction efficiency if required under other applicable Federal regulations.
(d) Consumer means a commercial or non-commercial purchaser of a product or container that has been introduced into interstate commerce.
(e) Container means the immediate vessel in which a controlled substance is stored or transported.
(f) Container containing means a container that physically holds a controlled substance within its structure that is intended to be transferred to another container, vessel or piece of equipment in order to realize its intended use.
(g) Controlled substance means a class I or class II ozone-depleting substance.
(h) Destruction means the expiration of a controlled substance to the destruction efficiency actually achieved, unless considered completely destroyed as defined in this section. Such destruction might result in a commercially useful end product but such usefulness would be secondary to the act of destruction. Destruction must be achieved using one of the controlled processes approved by the Parties and listed in the definition of destruction in § 82.3.
(i) Distributor means a person to whom a product is delivered or sold for purposes of subsequent resale, delivery or export.
(j) Export means the transport of virgin, used, or recycled class I or class II substances or products manufactured or containing class I or class II substances from inside the United States or its territories to persons outside the United States or its territories, excluding United States military bases and ships for on-board use.
(k) Exporter means the person who contracts to sell class I or class II substances or products manufactured with or containing class I or class II substances for export or transfers such substances or products to his affiliate in another country.
(l) Import means to land on, bring into, or introduce into, or attempt to land on, bring into, or introduce into any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States whether or not such landing, bringing, or introduction constitutes an importation within the meaning of the customs laws of the United States, with the exception of temporary off-loading of products manufactured with or containers containing class I or class II substances from a ship are used for servicing of that ship.
(m) Importer means any person who imports a controlled substance, a product containing a controlled substance, a product manufactured with a controlled substance, or any other chemical substance (including a chemical substance shipped as part of a mixture or article), into the United States. “Importer” includes the person primarily liable for the payment of any duties on the merchandise or an authorized agent acting on his or her behalf. The term also includes, as appropriate:
(1) The consignee;
(2) The importer of record;
(3) The actual owner if an actual owner's declaration and superseding bond has been filed; or
(4) The transferee, if the right to draw merchandise in a bonded warehouse has been transferred.
(n) Interstate commerce means the distribution or transportation of any product between one state, territory, possession or the District of Columbia, and another state, territory, possession or the District of Columbia, or the sale, use or manufacture of any product in more than one state, territory, possession or District of Columbia. The entry points for which a product is introduced into interstate commerce are the release of a product from the facility in which the product was manufactured, the entry into a warehouse from which the domestic manufacturer releases the product for sale or distribution, and at the site of United States Customs clearance.
(o) Manufactured with a controlled substance means that the manufacturer of the product itself used a controlled substance directly in the product's manufacturing, but the product itself does not contain more than trace quantities of the controlled substance at the point of introduction into interstate commerce. The following situations are excluded from the meaning of the phrase “manufactured with” a controlled substance:
(1) Where a product has not had physical contact with the controlled substance;
(2) Where the manufacturing equipment or the product has had physical contact with a controlled substance in an intermittent manner, not as a routine part of the direct manufacturing process;
(3) Where the controlled substance has been transformed, except for trace quantities; or
(4) Where the controlled substance has been completely destroyed.
(p) Potentially available means that adequate information exists to make a determination that the substitute is technologically feasible, environmentally acceptable and economically viable.
(q) Principal display panel (PDP) means the entire portion of the surface of a product, container or its outer packaging that is most likely to be displayed, shown, presented, or examined under customary conditions of retail sale. The area of the PDP is not limited to the portion of the surface covered with existing labeling; rather it includes the entire surface, excluding flanges, shoulders, handles, or necks.
(r) Product means an item or category of items manufactured from raw or recycled materials, or other products, which is used to perform a function or task.
(s) Product containing means a product including, but not limited to, containers, vessels, or pieces of equipment, that physically holds a controlled substance at the point of sale to the ultimate consumer which remains within the product.
(t) Promotional printed material means any informational or advertising material (including, but not limited to, written advertisements, brochures, circulars, desk references and fact sheets) that is prepared by the manufacturer for display or promotion concerning a product or container, and that does not accompany the product to the consumer.
(u) Retailer means a person to whom a product is delivered or sold, if such delivery or sale is for purposes of sale or distribution in commerce to consumers who buy such product for purposes other than resale.
(v) Spare parts means those parts that are supplied by a manufacturer to another manufacturer, distributor, or retailer, for purposes of replacing similar parts with such parts in the repair of a product.
(w) Supplemental printed material means any informational material (including, but not limited to, package inserts, fact sheets, invoices, material safety data sheets, procurement and specification sheets, or other material) which accompanies a product or container to the consumer at the time of purchase.
(x) Transform means to use and entirely consume a class I or class II substance, except for trace quantities, by changing it into one or more substances not subject to this subpart in the manufacturing process of a product or chemical.
(y) Type size means the actual height of the printed image of each capital letter as it appears on a label.
(z) Ultimate consumer means the first commercial or non-commercial purchaser of a container or product that is not intended for re-introduction into interstate commerce as a final product or as part of another product.
(aa) Warning label means the warning statement required by section 611 of the Act. The term warning statement shall be synonymous with warning label for purposes of this subpart.
(bb) Waste means, for purposes of this subpart, items or substances that are discarded with the intent that such items or substances will serve no further useful purpose.
(cc) Wholesaler means a person to whom a product is delivered or sold, if such delivery or sale is for purposes of sale or distribution to retailers who buy such product for purposes of resale.
§ 82.106   Warning statement requirements.
(a) Required warning statements. (1) Unless otherwise exempted by this subpart, each container or product identified in § 82.102(a) or (b) shall bear the following warning statement, meeting the requirements of this subpart for placement and form:
WARNING: Contains [or Manufactured with, if applicable] [ insert name of substance ], a substance which harms public health and environment by destroying ozone in the upper atmosphere.
(2) Each container of fire suppression agent containing HCFC-123 produced or imported on or after January 1, 2020 shall bear the following warning statement, meeting the requirements of this subpart for placement and form:
WARNING: Contains [insert name of substance], a substance which harms public health and environment by destroying ozone in the upper atmosphere. Use Only for Recharge of Equipment Manufactured before January 1, 2020.
(3) Each container of fire suppression agent containing reclaimed HCFC-123 or HCFC-123 that was imported prior to January 1, 2020, shall bear the following warning statement, meeting the requirements of this subpart for placement and form:
WARNING: Contains [insert name of substance], a substance which harms public health and environment by destroying ozone in the upper atmosphere. For use in any equipment.
(b) Exemptions from warning label requirement. The following products need not bear a warning label:
(1) Products containing trace quantities of a controlled substance remaining as a residue or impurity due to a chemical reaction, and where the controlled substance serves no useful purpose in or for the product itself. However, if such product was manufactured using the controlled substance, the product is required to be labeled as a “product manufactured with” the controlled substance, unless otherwise exempted;
(2) Containers containing a controlled substance in which trace quantities of that controlled substance remain as a residue or impurity;
(3) Waste containing controlled substances or blends of controlled substances bound for discard;
(4) Products manufactured using methyl chloroform or CFC-113 by persons who can demonstrate and certify a 95% reduction in overall usage from their 1990 calendar year usage of methyl chloroform or CFC-113 as solvents during a twelve (12) month period ending within sixty (60) days of such certification or during the most recently completed calendar year. In calculating such reduction, persons may subtract from quantities used those quantities for which they possess accessible data that establishes the amount of methyl chloroform or CFC-113 transformed. Such subtraction must be performed for both the applicable twelve month period and the 1990 calendar year. If at any time future usage exceeds the 95% reduction, all products manufactured with methyl chloroform or CFC-113 as solvents by that person must be labeled immediately. No person may qualify for this exemption after May 15, 1994;
(5) Products intended only for export outside of the United States shall not be considered “products introduced into interstate commerce” provided such products are clearly designated as intended for export only;
(6) Products that are otherwise not subject to the requirements of this subpart that are being repaired, using a process that uses a controlled substance.
(7) Products, processes, or substitute chemicals undergoing research and development, by which a controlled substance is used. Such products must be labeled when they are introduced into interstate commerce.
(c) Interference with other required labeling information. The warning statement shall not interfere with, detract from, or mar any labeling information required on the labeling by federal or state law.
§ 82.108   Placement of warning statement.
The warning statement shall be placed so as to satisfy the requirement of the Act that the warning statement be “clearly legible and conspicuous.” The warning statement is clearly legible and conspicuous if it appears with such prominence and conspicuousness as to render it likely to be read and understood by consumers under normal conditions of purchase. Such placement includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(a) Display panel placement. For any affected product or container that has a display panel that is normally viewed by the purchaser at the time of the purchase, the warning statement described in § 82.106 may appear on any such display panel of the affected product or container such that it is “clearly legible and conspicuous” at the time of the purchase. If the warning statement appears on the principal display panel or outer packaging of any such affected product or container, the warning statement shall qualify as “clearly legible and conspicuous,” as long as the label also fulfills all other requirements of this subpart and is not obscured by any outer packaging, as required by paragraph (b) of this section. The warning statement need not appear on such display panel if either:
(1) The warning statement appears on the outer packaging of the product or container, consistent with paragraph (b) of this section, and is clearly legible and conspicuous; or
(2) The warning statement is placed in a manner consistent with paragraph (c) of this section.
(b) Outer packaging. If the product or container is normally packaged, wrapped, or otherwise covered when viewed by the purchaser at the time of the purchase the warning statement described in § 82.106 shall appear on any outer packaging, wrapping or other covering used in the retail display of the product or container, such that the warning statement is clearly legible and conspicuous at the time of the purchase. If the outer packaging has a display panel that is normally viewed by the purchaser at the time of the purchase, the warning statement shall appear on such display panel. If the warning statement so appears on such product's or container's outer packaging, it need not appear on the surface of the product or container, as long as the statement also fulfills all other requirements of this subpart. The warning statement need not appear on such outer packaging if either:
(1) The warning statement appears on the surface of the product or container, consistent with paragraph (a) of this section, and is clearly legible and conspicuous through any outer packaging, wrapping or other covering used in display; or
(2) The warning statement is placed in a manner consistent with paragraph (c) of this section.
(c) Alternative placement. The warning statement may be placed on a hang tag, tape, card, sticker, invoice, bill of lading, supplemental printed material, or similar overlabeling that is securely attached to the container, product, outer packaging or display case, or accompanies the product containing or manufactured with a controlled substance or a container containing class I or class II substances through its sale to the consumer or ultimate consumer. For prescription medical products that have been found to be essential for patient health by the Food and Drug Administration, the warning statement may be placed in supplemental printed material intended to be read by the prescribing physician, as long as the following statement is placed on the product, its packaging, or supplemental printed material intended to be read by the patient: “This product contains [insert name of substance], a substance which harms the environment by depleting ozone in the upper atmosphere.” In any case, the warning statement must be clearly legible and conspicuous at the time of the purchase.
(d) Products not viewed by the purchaser at the time of purchase. Where the purchaser of a product cannot view a product, its packaging or alternative labeling such that the warning statement is clearly legible and conspicuous at the time of purchase, as specified under paragraphs (a), (b), or (c) of this section, the warning statement may be placed in the following manner:
(1) Where promotional printed material is prepared for display or distribution, the warning statement may be placed on such promotional printed material such that it is clearly legible and conspicuous at the time of purchase; or
(2) The warning statement may be placed on the product, on its outer packaging, or on alternative labeling, consistent with paragraphs (a), (b), or (c) of this section, such that the warning statement is clearly legible and conspicuous at the time of product delivery, if the product may be returned by the purchaser at or after the time of delivery or if the purchase is not complete until the time of delivery (e.g., products delivered C.O.D.).
§ 82.110   Form of label bearing warning statement.
(a) Conspicuousness and contrast. The warning statement shall appear in conspicuous and legible type by typography, layout, and color with other printed matter on the label. The warning statement shall appear in sharp contrast to any background upon which it appears. Examples of combinations of colors which may not satisfy the proposed requirement for sharp contrast are: black letters on a dark blue or dark green background, dark red letters on a light red background, light red letters on a reflective silver background, and white letters on a light gray or tan background.
(b) Name of substance. The name of the class I or class II substance to be inserted into the warning statement shall be the standard chemical name of the substance as listed in 40 CFR part 82, appendix A to subpart A, except that:
(1) The acronym “CFC” may be substituted for “chlorofluorocarbon.”
(2) The acronym “HCFC” may be substituted for “hydrochlorofluorocarbon.”
(3) The term “1,1,1-trichloroethane” may be substituted for “methyl chloroform.”
(c) Combined statement for multiple controlled substances. If a container containing or a product contains or is manufactured with, more than one class I or class II substance, the warning statement may include the names of all of the substances in a single warning statement, provided that the combined statement clearly distinguishes which substances the container or product contains and which were used in the manufacturing process.
(d) Format. (1) The warning statement shall be blocked within a square or rectangular area, with or without a border. (2) The warning statement shall appear in lines that are parallel to the surrounding text on the product's PDP, display panel, supplemental printed material or promotional printed material.
(e) Type style. The ratio of the height of a capital letter to its width shall be such that the height of the letter is no more than 3 times its width; the signal word “WARNING” shall appear in all capital letters.
(f) Type size. The warning statement shall appear at least as large as the type sizes prescribed by this paragraph. The type size refers to the height of the capital letters. A larger type size materially enhances the legibility of the statement and is desirable.
(1) Display panel or outer packaging. Minimum type size requirements for the warning statement are given in Table 1 to this paragraph and are based upon the area of the display panel of the product or container. Where the statement is on outer packaging, as well as the display panel area, the statement shall appear in the same minimum type size as on the display panel.
Table 1 to § 82.110( f )(1)
>Means greater than.
1 Minimum height of printed image of letters.
(2) Alternative placement. The minimum type size for the warning statement on any alternative placement which meets the requirements of § 82.108(c) is 3/32 inches for the signal word and 1/16 of an inch for the statement.
(3) Promotional printed material. The minimum type size for the warning statement on promotional printed material is 3/32 inches for the signal word and 1/16 of an inch for the statement, or the type size of any surrounding text, whichever is larger.
§ 82.112   Removal of label bearing warning statement.
(a) Prohibition on removal. Except as described in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, any warning statement that accompanies a product or container introduced into interstate commerce, as required by this subpart, must remain with the product or container and any product incorporating such product or container, up to and including the point of sale to the ultimate consumer.
(b) Incorporation of warning statement by subsequent manufacturers. A manufacturer of a product that incorporates a product that is accompanied by a label bearing the warning statement may remove such label from the incorporated product if the information on such label is incorporated into a warning statement accompanying the manufacturer's product, or if, pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, the manufacturer of the product is not required to pass through the information contained on or incorporated in the product's label.
(c) Manufacturers that incorporate products manufactured with controlled substances. A manufacturer that incorporates into its own product a component product that was purchased from another manufacturer, was manufactured with a process that uses a controlled substance(s), but does not contain such substance(s), may remove such label from the incorporated product and need not apply a warning statement to its own product, if the manufacturer does not use a controlled substance in its own manufacturing process. A manufacturer that uses controlled substances in its own manufacturing process, and is otherwise subject to the regulations of this subpart, must label pursuant to § 82.106, but need not include information regrading the incorporated product on the required label.
(d) Manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers that sell spare parts manufactured with controlled substances solely for repair. Manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers that purchase spare parts manufactured with a class I or class II substance from another manufacturer or supplier, and sell such spare parts for the sole purpose of repair, are not required to pass through an applicable warning label if such products are removed from the original packaging provided by the manufacturer from whom the products are purchased. Manufacturers of the spare parts manufactured with controlled substances must still label their products; furthermore, manufacturers, importers, and distributors of such products must pass through the labeling information as long as products remain assembled and packaged in the manner assembled and packaged by the original manufacturer. This exemption shall not apply if a spare part is later used for manufacture and/or for purposes other than repair.
§ 82.114   Compliance by manufacturers and importers with requirements for labeling of containers of controlled substances, or products containing controlled substances.
(a) Compliance by manufacturers and importers with requirements for labeling of containers of controlled substances, or products containing controlled substances. Each manufacturer of a product incorporating another product or container containing a controlled substance, to which § 82.102 (a)(1), or, (a)(2) or (b)(1) applies, that is purchased or obtained from another manufacturer or supplier, is required to pass through and incorporate the labeling information that accompanies such incorporated product in a warning statement accompanying the manufacturer's finished product. Each importer of a product, or container containing a controlled substance, to which § 82.102 (a)(1), (a)(2), or (b)(1) applies, including a component product or container incorporated into the product, that is purchased from a foreign manufacturer or supplier, is required to apply a label, or to ensure that a label has been properly applied, at the site of U.S. Customs clearance.
(b) Reliance on reasonable belief. The manufacturer or importer of a product that incorporates another product container from another manufacturer or supplier may rely on the labeling information (or lack thereof) that it receives with the product, and is not required to independently investigate whether the requirements of this subpart are applicable to such purchased product or container, as long as the manufacturer reasonably believes that the supplier or foreign manufacturer is reliably and accurately complying with the requirements of this subpart.
(c) Contractual obligations. A manufacturer's or importer's contractual relationship with its supplier under which the supplier is required to accurately label, consistent with the requirements of this subpart, any products containing a controlled substance or containers of a controlled substance that are supplied to the manufacturer or importer, is evidence of reasonable belief.
§ 82.116   Compliance by manufacturers or importers incorporating products manufactured with controlled substances.
(a) Compliance by manufacturers or importers incorporating products manufactured with controlled substances, or importing products manufactured with controlled substances. Each manufacturer or importer of a product incorporating another product to which § 82.102 (a)(3) or (b)(2) applies, that is purchased from another manufacturer or supplier, is not required to pass through and incorporate the labeling information that accompanies such incorporated product in a warning statement accompanying the manufacturer's or importer's finished product. Importers of products to which § 82.102 (a)(3) or (b)(2) applies are required to apply a label, or to ensure that a label has been properly applied at the site of U.S. Customs clearance.
(b) Reliance on reasonable belief. The importer of a product purchased or obtained from a foreign manufacturer or supplier, which product may have been manufactured with a controlled substance, may rely on the information that it receives with the purchased product, and is not required to independently investigate whether the requirements of this subpart are applicable to the purchased or obtained product, as long as the importer reasonably believes that there was no use of controlled substances by the final manufacturer of the product being imported.
(c) Contractual obligations. An importer's contractual relationship with its supplier under which the supplier is required to accurately label, consistent with the requirements of this subpart, any products manufactured with a controlled substance that are supplied to the importer, or to certify to the importer whether a product was or was not manufactured with a controlled substance is evidence of reasonable belief.
§ 82.118   Compliance by wholesalers, distributors and retailers.
(a) Requirement of compliance by wholesalers, distributors and retailers. All wholesalers, distributors and retailers of products or containers to which this subpart applies are required to pass through the labeling information that accompanies the product, except those purchasing from other manufacturers or suppliers spare parts manufactured with controlled substances and selling those parts for the demonstrable sole purpose of repair.
(b) Reliance on reasonable belief. The wholesaler, distributor or retailer of a product may rely on the labeling information that it receives with the product or container, and is not required to independently investigate whether the requirements of this subpart are applicable to the product or container, as long as the wholesaler, distributor or retailer reasonably believes that the supplier of the product or container is reliably and accurately complying with the requirements of this subpart.
(c) Contractual obligations. A wholesaler, distributor or retailer's contractual relationship with its supplier under which the supplier is required to accurately label, consistent with the requirements of this subpart, any products manufactured with a controlled substance that are supplied to the wholesaler, distributor or retailer is evidence of reasonable belief.
§ 82.120   Petitions.
(a) Requirements for procedure and timing. Persons seeking to apply the requirements of this regulation to a product containing a class II substance or a product manufactured with a class I or a class II substance which is not otherwise subject to the requirements, or to temporarily exempt a product manufactured with a class I substance, based on a showing of a lack of currently or potentially available alternatives, from the requirements of this regulation may submit petitions to: Labeling Program Manager, Stratospheric Protection Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 6202-J, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Such persons must label their products while such petitions are under review by the Agency.
(b) Requirement for adequate data. Any petition submitted under paragraph (a) of this section shall be accompanied by adequate data, as defined in § 82.120(c). If adequate data are not included by the petitioner, the Agency may return the petition and request specific additional information.
(c) Adequate data. A petition shall be considered by the Agency to be supported by adequate data if it includes all of the following:
(1) A part clearly labeled “Section I.A.” which contains the petitioner's full name, company or organization name, address and telephone number, the product that is the subject of the petition, and, in the case of a petition to temporarily exempt a product manufactured with a class I substance from the labeling requirement, the manufacturer or manufacturers of that product.
(2) For petitions to temporarily exempt a product manufactured with a class I substance only, a part clearly labeled “Section I.A.T.” which states the length of time for which an exemption is requested.
(3) A part clearly labeled “Section I.B.” which includes the following statement, signed by the petitioner or an authorized representative:
“I certify under penalty of law that I have personally examined and am familiar with the information submitted in this petition and all attached documents, and that, based on my inquiry of those individuals immediately responsible for obtaining the information, I believe that the submitted information is true, accurate, and complete. I am aware that there are significant penalties for submitting false information.”
(4) A part clearly labeled “Section I.C.” which fully explains the basis for the petitioner's request that EPA add the labeling requirements to or remove them from the product which is the subject of the petition, based specifically upon the technical facility or laboratory tests, literature, or economic analysis described in paragraphs (c) (5), (6) and (7) of this section.
(5) A part clearly labeled “Section II.A.” which fully describes any technical facility or laboratory tests used to support the petitioner's claim.
(6) A part clearly labeled “Section II.B.” which fully explains any values taken from literature or estimated on the basis of known information that are used to support the petitioner's claim.
(7) A part clearly labeled “Section II.C.” which fully explains any economic analysis used to support the petitioner's claim.
(d) Criteria for evaluating petitions. Adequate data in support of any petition to the Agency to add a product to the labeling requirement or temporarily remove a product from the labeling requirement will be evaluated based upon a showing of sufficient quality and scope by the petitioner of whether there are or are not substitute products or manufacturing processes for such product:
(1) That do not rely on the use of such class I or class II substance;
(2) That reduce the overall risk to human health and the environment; and
(3) That are currently or potentially available.
(e) Procedure for acceptance or denial of petition. (1) If a petition submitted under this section contains adequate data, as defined under paragraph (c) of this section, the Agency shall within 180 days after receiving the complete petition either accept the petition or deny the petition.
(2) If the Agency makes a decision to accept a petition to apply the requirements of this regulation to a product containing or manufactured with a class II substance, the Agency will notify the petitioner and publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register to apply the labeling requirements to the product.
(3) If the Agency makes a decision to deny a petition to apply the requirements of this regulation to a product containing or manufactured with a class II substance, the Agency will notify the petitioner and publish an explanation of the petition denial in the Federal Register.
(4) If the Agency makes a decision to accept a petition to temporarily exempt a product manufactured with a class I substance from the requirements of this regulation, the Agency will notify the petitioner and publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register to temporarily exempt the product from the labeling requirements. Upon notification by the Agency, such manufacturer may immediately cease its labeling process for such exempted products.
(5) If the Agency makes a decision to deny a petition to temporarily exempt a product manufactured with a class I substance from the requirements of this regulation, the Agency will notify the petitioner and may, in appropriate circumstances, publish an explanation of the petition denial in the Federal Register.
§ 82.122   Certification, recordkeeping, and notice requirements.
(a) Certification. (1) Persons claiming the exemption provided in § 82.106(b)(4) must submit a written certification to the following address: Labeling Program Manager, Stratospheric Protection Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs, 6205-T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington DC 20460.
(2) The certification must contain the following information:
(i) The exact location of documents verifying calendar year 1990 usage and the 95% reduced usage during a twelve month period;
(ii) A description of the records maintained at that location;
(iii) A description of the type of system used to track usage;
(iv) An indication of which 12 month period reflects the 95% reduced usage, and;
(v) Name, address, and telephone number of a contact person.
(3) Persons who submit certifications postmarked on or before May 15, 1993, need not place warning labels on their products manufactured using CFC-113 or methyl chloroform as a solvent. Persons who submit certifications postmarked after May 15, 1993, must label their products manufactured using CFC-113 or methyl chloroform as a solvent for 14 days following such submittal of the certification.
(4) Persons certifying must also include a statement that indicates their future annual use will at no time exceed 5% of their 1990 usage.
(5) Certifications must be signed by the owner or a responsible corporate officer.
(6) If the Administrator determines that a person's certification is incomplete or that information supporting the exemption is inadequate, then products manufactured using CFC-113 or methyl chloroform as a solvent by such person must be labeled pursuant to § 82.106(a).
(b) Recordkeeping. Persons claiming the exemption under section 82.106(b)(2) must retain supporting documentation at one of their facilities.
(c) Notice Requirements. Persons who claim an exemption under § 82.106(b)(2) must submit a notice to the address in paragraph (a)(1) of this section within 30 days of the end of any 12 month period in which their usage of CFC-113 or methyl chloroform used as a solvent exceeds the 95% reduction from calendar year 1990.
§ 82.124   Prohibitions.
(a) Warning statement —(1) Absence or presence of warning statement. (i) Applicable May 15, 1993, except as indicated in paragraph (a)(5) of this section, no container or product identified in § 82.102(a) may be introduced into interstate commerce unless it bears a warning statement that complies with the requirements of § 82.106(a) of this subpart, unless such labeling is not required under § 82.102(c), § 82.106(b), § 82.112 (c) or (d), § 82.116(a), § 82.118(a), or temporarily exempted pursuant to § 82.120.
(ii) On January 1, 2015, or any time between May 15, 1993 and January 1, 2015 that the Administrator determines for a particular product manufactured with or containing a class II substance that there are substitute products or manufacturing processes for such product that do not rely on the use of a class I or class II substance, that reduce the overall risk to human health and the environment, and that are currently or potentially available, no product identified in § 82.102(b) may be introduced into interstate commerce unless it bears a warning statement that complies with the requirements of § 82.106, unless such labeling is not required under § 82.106(b), § 82.112 (c) or (d), § 82.116(a) or § 82.118(a).
(2) Placement of warning statement. (i) On May 15, 1993, except as indicated in paragraph (a)(5) of this section, no container or product identified in § 82.102(a) may be introduced into interstate commerce unless it bears a warning statement that complies with the requirements of § 82.108 of this subpart, unless such labeling is not required under § 82.102(c), § 82.106(b), § 82.112 (c) or (d), § 82.116(a), § 82.118(a), or temporarily exempted pursuant to § 82.120.
(ii) On January 1, 2015, or any time between May 15, 1993 and January 1, 2015 that the Administrator determines for a particular product manufactured with or containing a class II substance that there are substitute products or manufacturing processes for such product that do not rely on the use of a class I or class II substance, that reduce the overall risk to human health and the environment, and that are currently or potentially available, no product identified in § 82.102(b) may be introduced into interstate commerce unless it bears a warning statement that complies with the requirements of § 82.108 of this subpart, unless such labeling is not required under § 82.106(b), § 82.112 (c) or (d), § 82.116(a) or § 82.118(a).
(3) Form of label bearing warning statement. (i) Applicable May 15, 1993, except as indicated in paragraph (a)(5) of this section, no container or product identified in § 82.102(a) may be introduced into interstate commerce unless it bears a warning statement that complies with the requirements of § 82.110, unless such labeling is not required pursuant to § 82.102(c), § 82.106(b), § 82.112 (c) or (d), § 82.116(a), § 82.118(a), or temporarily exempted pursuant to § 82.120.
(ii) On January 1, 2015, or any time between May 15, 1993 and January 1, 2015 that the Agency determines for a particular product manufactured with or containing a class II substance, that there are substitute products or manufacturing processes that do not rely on the use of a class I or class II substance, that reduce the overall risk to human health and the environment, and that are currently or potentially available, no product identified in § 82.102(b) may be introduced into interstate commerce unless it bears a warning statement that complies with the requirements of § 82.110, unless such labeling is not required pursuant to § 82.106(b), § 82.112 (c) or (d), § 82.116(a), or § 82.118(a).
(4) On or after May 15, 1993, no person may modify, remove or interfere with any warning statement required by this subpart, except as described in § 82.112.
(5) In the case of any substance designated as a class I or class II substance after February 11, 1993, the prohibitions in paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(2)(i), and (a)(3)(i) of this section shall be applicable one year after the designation of such substance as a class I or class II substance unless otherwise specified in the designation.
§ 82.150   Purpose and scope.
(a) The purpose of this subpart is to reduce emissions of class I and class II refrigerants and their non-exempt substitutes to the lowest achievable level by maximizing the recapture and recycling of such refrigerants during the maintenance, service, repair, and disposal of appliances and restricting the sale of refrigerants consisting in whole or in part of a class I or class II ozone-depleting substance or their non-exempt substitutes in accordance with Title VI of the Clean Air Act.
(b) This subpart applies to any person maintaining, servicing, or repairing appliances containing class I, class II or non-exempt substitute refrigerants. This subpart also applies to persons disposing of such appliances (including small appliances and motor vehicle air conditioners), refrigerant reclaimers, technician certifying programs, appliance owners and operators, manufacturers of appliances, manufacturers of recovery and/or recycling equipment, approved recovery and/or recycling equipment testing organizations, and persons buying, selling, or offering to sell class I, class II, or non-exempt substitute refrigerants.
§ 82.152   Definitions.
Appliance means any device which contains and uses a class I or class II substance or substitute as a refrigerant and which is used for household or commercial purposes, including any air conditioner, motor vehicle air conditioner, refrigerator, chiller, or freezer. For a system with multiple circuits, each independent circuit is considered a separate appliance.
Apprentice means any person who is currently registered as an apprentice in maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of appliances with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship (or a State Apprenticeship Council recognized by the Office of Apprenticeship). A person may only be an apprentice for two years from the date of first registering with that office.
Approved equipment testing organization means any organization which has applied for and received approval from the Administrator pursuant to § 82.160.
Batch means a single bulk cylinder of refrigerant after all reclamation has been completed prior to packaging or shipping to the market.
Class I refers to an ozone-depleting substance that is listed in 40 CFR part 82 subpart A, appendix A.
Class II refers to an ozone-depleting substance that is listed in 40 CFR part 82 subpart A, appendix B.
Certified refrigerant recovery or recycling equipment means equipment manufactured before November 15, 1993, that meets the standards in § 82.158(c), (e), or (g); equipment certified by an approved equipment testing organization to meet the standards in § 82.158(b), (d), or (f); or equipment certified pursuant to § 82.36(a).
Comfort cooling means the air-conditioning appliances used to provide cooling in order to control heat and/or humidity in occupied facilities including but not limited to residential, office, and commercial buildings. Comfort cooling appliances include but are not limited to chillers, commercial split systems, and packaged roof-top units.
Commercial refrigeration means the refrigeration appliances used in the retail food and cold storage warehouse sectors. Retail food appliances include the refrigeration equipment found in supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants and other food service establishments. Cold storage includes the refrigeration equipment used to store meat, produce, dairy products, and other perishable goods.
Component means a part of the refrigerant circuit within an appliance including, but not limited to, compressors, condensers, evaporators, receivers, and all of its connections and subassemblies.
Custom-built means that the industrial process equipment or any of its components cannot be purchased and/or installed without being uniquely designed, fabricated and/or assembled to satisfy a specific set of industrial process conditions.
Disposal means the process leading to and including:
(1) The discharge, deposit, dumping or placing of any discarded appliance into or on any land or water;
(2) The disassembly of any appliance for discharge, deposit, dumping or placing of its discarded component parts into or on any land or water;
(3) The vandalism of any appliance such that the refrigerant is released into the environment or would be released into the environment if it had not been recovered prior to the destructive activity;
(4) The disassembly of any appliance for reuse of its component parts; or
(5) The recycling of any appliance for scrap.
Follow-up verification test means those tests that involve checking the repairs to an appliance after a successful initial verification test and after the appliance has returned to normal operating characteristics and conditions to verify that the repairs were successful. Potential methods for follow-up verification tests include, but are not limited to, the use of soap bubbles as appropriate, electronic or ultrasonic leak detectors, pressure or vacuum tests, fluorescent dye and black light, infrared or near infrared tests, and handheld gas detection devices.
Full charge means the amount of refrigerant required for normal operating characteristics and conditions of the appliance as determined by using one or a combination of the following four methods:
(1) Use of the equipment manufacturer's determination of the full charge;
(2) Use of appropriate calculations based on component sizes, density of refrigerant, volume of piping, and other relevant considerations;
(3) Use of actual measurements of the amount of refrigerant added to or evacuated from the appliance, including for seasonal variances; and/or
(4) Use of an established range based on the best available data regarding the normal operating characteristics and conditions for the appliance, where the midpoint of the range will serve as the full charge.
High-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure between 170 psia and 355 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-22, R-407A, R-407C, R-410A, and R-502.
Industrial process refrigeration means complex customized appliances that are directly linked to the processes used in, for example, the chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and manufacturing industries. This sector also includes industrial ice machines, appliances used directly in the generation of electricity, and ice rinks. Where one appliance is used for both industrial process refrigeration and other applications, it will be considered industrial process refrigeration equipment if 50 percent or more of its operating capacity is used for industrial process refrigeration.
Industrial process shutdown means when an industrial process or facility temporarily ceases to operate or manufacture whatever is being produced at that facility.
Initial verification test means those leak tests that are conducted after the repair is finished to verify that a leak or leaks have been repaired before refrigerant is added back to the appliance.
Leak inspection means the examination of an appliance to determine the location of refrigerant leaks. Potential methods include, but are not limited to, ultrasonic tests, gas-imaging cameras, bubble tests as appropriate, or the use of a leak detection device operated and maintained according to manufacturer guidelines. Methods that determine whether the appliance is leaking refrigerant but not the location of a leak, such as standing pressure/vacuum decay tests, sight glass checks, viewing receiver levels, pressure checks, and charging charts, must be used in conjunction with methods that can determine the location of a leak.
Leak rate means the rate at which an appliance is losing refrigerant, measured between refrigerant charges. The leak rate is expressed in terms of the percentage of the appliance's full charge that would be lost over a 12-month period if the current rate of loss were to continue over that period. The rate must be calculated using one of the following methods. The same method must be used for all appliances subject to the leak repair requirements located at an operating facility.
(1) Annualizing Method. (i) Step 1. Take the number of pounds of refrigerant added to the appliance to return it to a full charge, whether in one addition or if multiple additions related to same leak, and divide it by the number of pounds of refrigerant the appliance normally contains at full charge;
(ii) Step 2. Take the shorter of the number of days that have passed since the last day refrigerant was added or 365 days and divide that number by 365 days;
(iii) Step 3. Take the number calculated in Step 1 and divide it by the number calculated in Step 2; and
(iv) Step 4. Multiply the number calculated in Step 3 by 100 to calculate a percentage. This method is summarized in the following formula:
(2) Rolling Average Method. (i) Step 1. Take the sum of the pounds of refrigerant added to the appliance over the previous 365-day period (or over the period that has passed since the last successful follow-up verification test showing all identified leaks in the appliance were repaired, if that period is less than one year);
(ii) Step 2. Divide the result of Step 1 by the pounds of refrigerant the appliance normally contains at full charge; and
(iii) Step 3. Multiply the result of Step 2 by 100 to obtain a percentage. This method is summarized in the following formula:
Low-loss fitting means any device that is intended to establish a connection between hoses, appliances, or recovery and/or recycling machines and that is designed to close automatically or to be closed manually when disconnected, minimizing the release of refrigerant from hoses, appliances, and recovery and/or recycling machines.
Low-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-11, R-123, R-113, and R-245fa.
Major maintenance, service, or repair means any maintenance, service, or repair that involves the removal of any or all of the following appliance components: compressor, condenser, evaporator, or auxiliary heat exchange coil; or any maintenance, service, or repair that involves uncovering an opening of more than four (4) square inches of “flow area” for more than 15 minutes.
Medium-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure between 45 psia and 170 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-114, R-124, R-12, R-134a, and R-500.
Mothball means to evacuate refrigerant from an appliance, or the affected isolated section or component of an appliance, to at least atmospheric pressure, and to temporarily shut down that appliance.
Motor vehicle air conditioner (MVAC) means any appliance that is a motor vehicle air conditioner as defined in 40 CFR part 82, subpart B.
MVAC-like appliance means a mechanical vapor compression, open-drive compressor appliance with a full charge of 20 pounds or less of refrigerant used to cool the driver's or passenger's compartment of off-road vehicles or equipment. This includes, but is not limited to, the air-conditioning equipment found on agricultural or construction vehicles. This definition is not intended to cover appliances using R-22 refrigerant.
Normal operating characteristics and conditions means appliance operating temperatures, pressures, fluid flows, speeds, and other characteristics, including full charge of the appliance, that would be expected for a given process load and ambient condition during normal operation. Normal operating characteristics and conditions are marked by the absence of atypical conditions affecting the operation of the appliance.
One-time expansion device means an appliance that relies on the release of its refrigerant charge to the environment in order to provide a cooling effect. These are typically single releases but could also include products that are designed to release refrigerant to the environment through multiple individual charges.
Opening an appliance means any maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of an appliance that would release any refrigerant in the appliance to the atmosphere. Connecting and disconnecting hoses and gauges to measure pressures, add refrigerant, or recover refrigerant from the appliance are not considered “opening an appliance.”
Parent company means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, joint-stock company, or an unincorporated organization that can direct or cause the direction of management and policies of another entity, through the ownership of shares or otherwise.
Person means any individual or legal entity, including an individual, corporation, partnership, association, state, municipality, political subdivision of a state, Indian tribe, and any agency, department, or instrumentality of the United States, and any officer, agent, or employee thereof.
Process stub means a length of tubing that provides access to the refrigerant inside a small appliance or room air conditioner and that can be resealed at the conclusion of repair or service.
Reclaim means to reprocess recovered refrigerant to all of the specifications in appendix A of this subpart (based on AHRI Standard 700-2016, Specifications for Refrigerants ) that are applicable to that refrigerant and to verify that the refrigerant meets these specifications using the analytical methodology prescribed in section 5 of appendix A of this subpart.
Recover means to remove refrigerant in any condition from an appliance and to store it in an external container without necessarily testing or processing it in any way.
Recovery efficiency means the percentage of refrigerant in an appliance that is recovered by a piece of recovery and/or recycling equipment.
Recycle, when referring to refrigerant, means to extract refrigerant from an appliance (except MVACs) and clean it for reuse in equipment of the same owner without meeting all of the requirements for reclamation. In general, recycled refrigerant is cleaned using oil separation and single or multiple passes through devices, such as replaceable core filter-driers, which reduce moisture, acidity, and particulate matter.
Refrigerant means, for purposes of this subpart, any substance, including blends and mixtures, consisting in part or whole of a class I or class II ozone-depleting substance or substitute that is used for heat transfer purposes and provides a cooling effect.
Refrigerant circuit means the parts of an appliance that are normally connected to each other (or are separated only by internal valves) and are designed to contain refrigerant.
Retire, when referring to an appliance, means the removal of the refrigerant and the disassembly or impairment of the refrigerant circuit such that the appliance as a whole is rendered unusable by any person in the future.
Retrofit means to convert an appliance from one refrigerant to another refrigerant. Retrofitting includes the conversion of the appliance to achieve system compatibility with the new refrigerant and may include, but is not limited to, changes in lubricants, gaskets, filters, driers, valves, o-rings or appliance components.
Seasonal variance means the removal of refrigerant from an appliance due to a change in ambient conditions caused by a change in season, followed by the subsequent addition of an amount that is less than or equal to the amount of refrigerant removed in the prior change in season, where both the removal and addition of refrigerant occurs within one consecutive 12-month period.
Self-contained recovery equipment means refrigerant recovery and/or recycling equipment that is capable of removing the refrigerant from an appliance without the assistance of components contained in the appliance.
Self-sealing valve means a valve affixed to a container of refrigerant that automatically seals when not dispensing refrigerant and meets or exceeds established performance criteria as identified in § 82.154(c)(2).
Small appliance means any appliance that is fully manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory with five (5) pounds or less of refrigerant, including, but not limited to, refrigerators and freezers (designed for home, commercial, or consumer use), medical or industrial research refrigeration equipment, room air conditioners (including window air conditioners, portable air conditioners, and packaged terminal air heat pumps), dehumidifiers, under-the-counter ice makers, vending machines, and drinking water coolers.
Substitute means any chemical or product, whether existing or new, that is used as a refrigerant to replace a class I or II ozone-depleting substance. Examples include, but are not limited to hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, hydrofluoroolefins, hydrofluoroethers, hydrocarbons, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and blends thereof. As used in this subpart, the term “exempt substitutes” refers to certain substitutes when used in certain end-uses that are specified in § 82.154(a)(1) as exempt from the venting prohibition and the requirements of this subpart, and the term “non-exempt substitutes” refers to all other substitutes and end-uses not so specified in § 82.154(a)(1).
System-dependent recovery equipment means refrigerant recovery equipment that requires the assistance of components contained in an appliance to remove the refrigerant from the appliance.
System receiver means the isolated portion of the appliance, or a specific vessel within the appliance, that is used to hold the refrigerant charge during the servicing or repair of that appliance.
Technician means any person who in the course of maintenance, service, or repair of an appliance (except MVACs) could be reasonably expected to violate the integrity of the refrigerant circuit and therefore release refrigerants into the environment. Technician also means any person who in the course of disposal of an appliance (except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances) could be reasonably expected to violate the integrity of the refrigerant circuit and therefore release refrigerants from the appliances into the environment. Activities reasonably expected to violate the integrity of the refrigerant circuit include but are not limited to: Attaching or detaching hoses and gauges to and from the appliance; adding or removing refrigerant; adding or removing components; and cutting the refrigerant line. Activities such as painting the appliance, rewiring an external electrical circuit, replacing insulation on a length of pipe, or tightening nuts and bolts are not reasonably expected to violate the integrity of the refrigerant circuit. Activities conducted on appliances that have been properly evacuated pursuant to § 82.156 are not reasonably expected to release refrigerants unless the activity includes adding refrigerant to the appliance. Technicians could include but are not limited to installers, contractor employees, in-house service personnel, and owners and/or operators of appliances.
Very high-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a critical temperature below 104 °F or with a liquid phase saturation pressure above 355 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-13, R-23, R-503, R-508A, and R-508B.
§ 82.154   Prohibitions.
(a) Venting prohibition. (1) No person maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing of an appliance or industrial process refrigeration may knowingly vent or otherwise release into the environment any refrigerant from such appliances. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subpart, the following substitutes in the following end-uses are exempt from this prohibition and from the requirements of this subpart:
(i) Carbon dioxide in any application;
(ii) Nitrogen in any application;
(iii) Water in any application;
(iv) Ammonia in commercial or industrial process refrigeration or in absorption units;
(v) Chlorine in industrial process refrigeration (processing of chlorine and chlorine compounds);
(vi) Hydrocarbons in industrial process refrigeration (processing of hydrocarbons);
(vii) Ethane (R-170) in very low temperature refrigeration equipment and equipment for non-mechanical heat transfer;
(viii) Propane (R-290) in retail food refrigerators and freezers—stand-alone units; household refrigerators, freezers, and combination refrigerators and freezers; self-contained room air conditioners for residential and light commercial air-conditioning and heat pumps; vending machines; self-contained commercial ice machines, very low temperature refrigeration equipment, and water coolers; and effective July 15, 2024, retail food refrigeration—refrigerated food processing and dispensing equipment;
(ix) Isobutane (R-600a) in retail food refrigerators and freezers (stand-alone units only); household refrigerators, freezers, and combination refrigerators and freezers; and vending machines;
(x) R-441A in retail food refrigerators and freezers (stand-alone units only); household refrigerators, freezers, and combination refrigerators and freezers; self-contained room air conditioners for residential and light commercial air-conditioning; heat pumps; and vending machines.
(2) De minimis releases associated with good faith attempts to recycle or recover refrigerants are not subject to this prohibition. Except for exempt substitutes, refrigerant releases are de minimis only if they occur when:
(i) The applicable practices in §§ 82.155 and 82.156 are observed, the applicable practices in § 82.157 are observed for appliances that contain any class I or class II refrigerant or blend containing a class I or class II refrigerant, recovery and/or recycling machines that meet the requirements in § 82.158 are used whenever refrigerant is removed from an appliance, the technician certification provisions in § 82.161 are observed, and the reclamation requirements in § 82.164 are observed; or
(ii) The requirements in subpart B of this part are observed.
(3) The knowing release of a class I or class II refrigerant or a non-exempt substitute refrigerant after its recovery from an appliance is a violation of the venting prohibition.
(b) No person may maintain, service, repair, or dispose of an appliance containing a class I or class II refrigerant or a non-exempt substitute refrigerant without:
(1) Observing the applicable practices in § 82.155, § 82.156, and § 82.157; and
(2) Using recovery and/or recycling equipment that is certified for that type of refrigerant and appliance under § 82.158.
(c) Sales Restriction. (1) No person may sell or distribute, or offer for sale or distribution, any substance that consists in whole or in part of a class I or class II substance or, starting on January 1, 2018, any non-exempt substitute for use as a refrigerant unless:
(i) The buyer has been certified as a Type I, Type II, Type III, or Universal technician under § 82.161;
(ii) The buyer employs at least one technician who is certified as a Type I, Type II, Type III, or Universal technician under § 82.161 and provides proof of such to the seller;
(iii) The buyer has been certified in accordance with 40 CFR part 82, subpart B and the refrigerant is acceptable for use in MVACs under 40 CFR part 82, subpart G;
(iv) The buyer employs at least one person who is certified under 40 CFR part 82, subpart B, and provides proof of such to the seller and the refrigerant is acceptable for use in MVACs under 40 CFR part 82, subpart G. Nothing in this provision relieves persons of the requirements of § 82.34(b) or § 82.42(b);
(v) The refrigerant is sold only for eventual resale to persons certified under § 82.161 or 40 CFR part 82, subpart B or to appliance manufacturers ( e.g., sold by a manufacturer to a wholesaler, sold by a technician to a reclaimer);
(vi) The refrigerant is sold to an appliance manufacturer;
(vii) The refrigerant is contained in an appliance with a fully assembled refrigerant circuit or an appliance component;
(viii) The refrigerant is charged into an appliance by a certified technician or an apprentice during maintenance, service, or repair of the appliance; or
(ix) The non-exempt substitute refrigerant is intended for use in an MVAC and is sold in a container designed to hold two pounds or less of refrigerant, has a unique fitting, and, if manufactured or imported on or after January 1, 2018, has a self-sealing valve that complies with the requirements of paragraph (c)(2) of this section.
(2) Self-sealing valve specifications. This provision applies starting January 1, 2018, for all containers holding two pounds or less of non-exempt substitute refrigerant for use in an MVAC that are manufactured or imported on or after that date.
(i) Each container holding two pounds or less of non-exempt substitute refrigerant for use in an MVAC must be equipped with a single self-sealing valve that automatically closes and seals when not dispensing refrigerant.
(ii) The leakage rate from each container must not exceed 3.00 grams per year when the self-sealing valve is closed. This leakage rate applies to new, full containers as well as containers that may be partially full.
(iii) The leakage rate must be determined using the standards described in appendix E (incorporated by reference, see § 82.168).
(iv) All testing to demonstrate compliance with this paragraph must be conducted by an independent test laboratory in the United States. For purposes of this requirement, an independent test laboratory is one that is not owned, operated, or affiliated with the applicant certifying equipment and/or products.
(3) Recordkeeping. (i) Persons who sell or distribute, or offer to sell or distribute, any class I or class II refrigerant, or, starting on January 1, 2018, any non-exempt substitute refrigerant must keep invoices that indicate the name of the purchaser, the date of sale, and the quantity of refrigerant purchased unless they are selling exempt substitutes (those substitutes used in the end-uses specified as exempt in paragraph (a)(1) of this section) or small cans of MVAC refrigerant in accordance with paragraph (c)(1)(ix) of this section. In instances where the buyer employs a person certified under § 82.161 or 40 CFR part 82, subpart B, the seller must keep the documentation provided by the buyer to demonstrate such employment. All records must be kept for three years.
(ii) Electronic or paper copies of all records described in appendix E must be maintained by manufacturers of containers holding two pounds or less of non-exempt substitute refrigerant for use in an MVAC to verify self-sealing valves meet the requirements specified in paragraph (c)(2) of this section. All records must be kept for three years after each purchase.
(d) Sale of Used Refrigerant. No person may sell or distribute, or offer for sale or distribution, for use as a refrigerant any class I or class II substance or non-exempt substitute consisting wholly or in part of used refrigerant unless the refrigerant:
(1) Has been reclaimed by a person who has been certified as a reclaimer under § 82.164;
(2) was used only in an MVAC or MVAC-like appliance and is to be used only in an MVAC or MVAC-like appliance and recycled in accordance with 40 CFR part 82, subpart B;
(3) is contained in an appliance that is sold or offered for sale together with a fully assembled refrigerant circuit;
(4) is being transferred between or among a parent company and one or more of its subsidiaries, or between or among subsidiaries having the same parent company; or
(5) is being transferred between or among a Federal agency or department and a facility or facilities owned by the same Federal agency or department.
(e) Manufacture and Sale of Appliances. (1) No person may sell or distribute, or offer for sale or distribution, any appliance (except small appliances and appliances containing only refrigerants that have been exempted under paragraph (a)(1) of this section) unless it is equipped with a servicing aperture to facilitate the removal of refrigerant at servicing and disposal.
(2) No person may sell or distribute, or offer for sale or distribution, any small appliance (except appliances containing only refrigerants that have been exempted under paragraph (a)(1) of this section) unless it is equipped with a process stub to facilitate the removal of refrigerant at servicing and disposal.
(f) One-time expansion devices. No person may manufacture or import a one-time expansion device unless the only refrigerants it contains have been exempted under paragraph (a)(1) of this section.
(g) Rules stayed for consideration. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this subpart, the effectiveness of 40 CFR 82.154(c), only as it applies to refrigerant contained in appliances without fully assembled refrigerant circuits, is stayed from April 27, 1995, until EPA takes final action on its reconsideration of these provisions. EPA will publish any such final action in the Federal Register .
§ 82.155   Safe disposal of appliances.
Until January 1, 2018, this section applies only to disposal of appliances containing class I and class II refrigerants. Starting on January 1, 2018, this section applies to disposal of appliances containing any class I or class II refrigerant or any non-exempt substitute refrigerant.
(a) Persons recovering refrigerant from a small appliance, MVAC, or MVAC-like appliance for purposes of disposal of these appliances must evacuate refrigerant to the levels in § 82.156(b) through (d) using recovery equipment that meets the standards in § 82.158(e) through (g), or 40 CFR part 82 subpart B, as applicable.
(b) The final processor— i.e., persons who take the final step in the disposal process (including but not limited to scrap recyclers and landfill operators) of a small appliance, MVAC, or MVAC-like appliance—must either:
(1) Recover any remaining refrigerant from the appliance in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section; or
(2) Verify using a signed statement or a contract that all refrigerant that had not leaked previously has been recovered from the appliance or shipment of appliances in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section. If using a signed statement, it must include the name and address of the person who recovered the refrigerant and the date the refrigerant was recovered. If using a signed contract between the supplier and the final processor, it must either state that the supplier will recover any remaining refrigerant from the appliance or shipment of appliances in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section prior to delivery or verify that the refrigerant had been properly recovered prior to receipt by the supplier.
(i) It is a violation of this subpart to accept a signed statement or contract if the person receiving the statement or contract knew or had reason to know that the signed statement or contract is false.
(ii) The final processor must notify suppliers of appliances that refrigerant must be properly recovered in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section before delivery of the items to the facility. The form of this notification may be signs, letters to suppliers, or other equivalent means.
(iii) If all the refrigerant has leaked out of the appliance, the final processor must obtain a signed statement that all the refrigerant in the appliance had leaked out prior to delivery to the final processor and recovery is not possible. “Leaked out” in this context means those situations in which the refrigerant has escaped because of system failures, accidents, or other unavoidable occurrences not caused by a person's negligence or deliberate acts such as cutting refrigerant lines.
(c) Recordkeeping. The final processor of a small appliance, MVAC, or MVAC-like appliance must keep a copy of all the signed statements or contracts obtained under paragraph (b)(2) of this section on site, in hard copy or in electronic format, for three years.
§ 82.156   Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances.
Until January 1, 2018, this section applies only to evacuation of refrigerant from appliances containing class I or class II refrigerants. Starting on January 1, 2018, this section applies to evacuation of refrigerant from appliances containing any class I or class II refrigerant or any non-exempt substitute refrigerant, excluding paragraph (i) of this section which applies only to appliances containing class I or class II refrigerants until January 1, 2019. Starting January 1, 2019, the provisions in § 82.157 apply in lieu of paragraph (i) of this section.
(a) Appliances (except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances). Before opening appliances (except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances) or disposing of such appliances, technicians must evacuate the refrigerant, including all the liquid refrigerant, to the levels in Table 1 using a recovery and/or recycling machine certified pursuant to § 82.158 unless the situations in paragraphs (a)(1) or (2) of this section apply. Technicians may evacuate either the entire appliance or the part to be serviced, if the refrigerant in the part can be isolated to a system receiver. A technician must verify that the applicable level of evacuation has been reached in the appliance or the part before it is opened.
(1) If evacuation of the appliance to the atmosphere is not to be performed after completion of the maintenance, service, or repair, and if the maintenance, service, or repair is not major as defined at § 82.152, the appliance must:
(i) Be evacuated to a pressure no higher than 0 psig before it is opened if it is a medium-, high- or very high-pressure appliance;
(ii) Be pressurized to a pressure no higher than 0 psig before it is opened if it is a low-pressure appliance. Persons must cover openings when isolation is not possible. Persons pressurizing low-pressure appliances that use refrigerants with boiling points at or below 85 degrees Fahrenheit at 29.9 inches of mercury (standard atmospheric pressure), must not use methods such as nitrogen that require subsequent purging. Persons pressurizing low-pressure appliances that use refrigerants with boiling points above 85 degrees Fahrenheit at 29.9 inches of mercury, must use heat to raise the internal pressure of the appliance as much as possible, but may use nitrogen to raise the internal pressure of the appliance from the level attainable through use of heat to atmospheric pressure; or
(iii) For the purposes of oil changes, be evacuated or pressurized to a pressure no higher than 5 psig, before it is opened; or drain the oil into a system receiver to be evacuated or pressurized to a pressure no higher than 5 psig.
(2) If leaks in the appliance make evacuation to the levels in Table 1 unattainable or would substantially contaminate the refrigerant being recovered, persons opening or disposing of the appliance must:
(i) Isolate leaking from non-leaking components wherever possible;
(ii) Evacuate non-leaking components to be opened or disposed of to the levels specified in Table 1; and
(iii) Evacuate leaking components to be opened or disposed of to the lowest level that can be attained without substantially contaminating the refrigerant. This level may not exceed 0 psig.
(3) Recordkeeping. As of January 1, 2018, technicians evacuating refrigerant from appliances with a full charge of more than 5 and less than 50 pounds of refrigerant for purposes of disposal of that appliance must keep records documenting the following for three years:
(i) The company name, location of the appliance, date of recovery, and type of refrigerant recovered for each appliance;
(ii) The total quantity of refrigerant, by type, recovered from all disposed appliances in each calendar month; and
(iii) The quantity of refrigerant, by type, transferred for reclamation and/or destruction, the person to whom it was transferred, and the date of transfer.
Table 1—Required Levels of Evacuation for Appliances
[Except for small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances]
(b) Small appliances. Before opening a small appliance or when disposing of a small appliance, persons must recover refrigerant, using a recovery and/or recycling machine certified pursuant to § 82.158, according to the following conditions:
(1) When using recovery equipment manufactured before November 15, 1993, recover 80 percent of the refrigerant in the small appliance; or
(2) When using recovery equipment manufactured on or after November 15, 1993, recover 90 percent of the refrigerant in the appliance when the compressor in the appliance is functioning, or 80 percent of the refrigerant in the appliance when the compressor in the appliance is not functioning; or
(3) Evacuate the appliance to four inches of mercury vacuum.
(c) MVAC-like appliances. Persons may only open MVAC-like appliances while properly using, as defined at § 82.32(e), recovery and/or recycling equipment certified pursuant to § 82.158(f) or § 82.36, as applicable. All persons recovering refrigerant from MVAC-like appliances for purposes of disposal of these appliances must evacuate the appliance in accordance with 40 CFR part 82, subpart B or reduce the system pressure to or below 102 mm of mercury vacuum.
(d) MVACs. All persons recovering refrigerant from MVACs for purposes of disposal of these appliances must evacuate the appliance in accordance with 40 CFR part 82, subpart B or reduce the system pressure to or below 102 mm of mercury vacuum.
(e) System-dependent equipment may not be used with appliances with a full charge of more than 15 pounds of refrigerant, unless the system-dependent equipment is permanently attached to the appliance as a pump-out unit.
(f) Persons who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of only appliances that they own and that contain pump-out units are exempt from the requirement to use certified, self-contained recovery and/or recycling equipment.
(g) All recovery and/or recycling equipment must be used in accordance with the manufacturer's directions unless such directions conflict with the requirements of this subpart.
(h) Refrigerant may be returned to the appliance from which it is recovered or to another appliance owned by the same person without being recycled or reclaimed, unless the appliance is an MVAC or MVAC-like appliance.
(i) The provisions in this paragraph (i) apply to owners and operators of appliances containing 50 or more pounds of class I and class II refrigerants only until January 1, 2019. The definitions in paragraph (j) of this section apply for purposes of this paragraph (i) in lieu of the definitions in § 82.152.
(1) Owners or operators of commercial refrigeration equipment normally containing more than 50 pounds of refrigerant must have leaks repaired in accordance with paragraph (i)(9) of this section, if the appliance is leaking at a rate such that the loss of refrigerant will exceed 35 percent of the total charge during a 12-month period, except as described in paragraphs (i)(6), (i)(8), and (i)(10) of this section and paragraphs (i)(1)(i), (i)(1)(ii), and (i)(1)(iii) of this section. Repairs must bring the annual leak rate to below 35 percent.
(i) If the owners or operators of the federally-owned commercial refrigerant appliances determine that the leaks cannot be repaired in accordance with paragraph (i)(9) of this section and that an extension in accordance with the requirements discussed in this paragraph (i)(1)(i) of this section apply, they must document all repair efforts, and notify EPA of their inability to comply within the 30-day repair requirement, and the reason for the inability must be submitted to EPA in accordance with § 82.166(n). Such notification must be made within 30 days of discovering the leaks. EPA will determine if the extension requested in accordance with the requirements discussed in paragraph (i)(1)(i) of this section is justified. If the extension is not justified, EPA will notify the owner/operator within 30 days of receipt of the notification.
(ii) Owners or operators of federally-owned commercial refrigeration equipment may have more than 30 days to repair leaks if the refrigeration appliance is located in an area subject to radiological contamination or where the shutting down of the appliance will directly lead to radiological contamination. Only the additional time needed to conduct and complete repairs in a safe working environment will be permitted.
(iii) Owners or operators of federally-owned commercial refrigeration equipment requesting or who are granted time extensions under this paragraph must comply with paragraphs (i)(3) and (i)(4) of this section.
(2) The owners or operators of industrial process refrigeration equipment normally containing more than 50 pounds of refrigerant must have leaks repaired if the appliance is leaking at a rate such that the loss of refrigerant will exceed 35 percent of the total charge during a 12-month period in accordance with paragraph (i)(9) of this section, except as described in paragraphs (i)(6), (i)(7) and (i)(10) of this section, and paragraphs (i)(2)(i) and (i)(2)(ii) of this section. Repairs must bring annual leak rates to below 35 percent during a 12-month period. If the owners or operators of the industrial process refrigeration equipment determine that the leak rate cannot be brought to below 35 percent during a 12-month period within 30 days (or 120 days, where an industrial process shutdown in accordance with paragraph (i)(2)(ii) of this section is required,) and in accordance with paragraph (i)(9) of this section, and that an extension in accordance with the requirements discussed in this paragraph apply, the owners or operators of the appliance must document all repair efforts, and notify EPA of the reason for the inability in accordance with § 82.166(n) within 30 days of making this determination. Owners or operators who obtain an extension pursuant to this section or elect to utilize the additional time provided in paragraph (i)(2)(i) of this section, must conduct all necessary leak repairs, if any, that do not require any additional time beyond the initial 30 or 120 days.
(i) The owners or operators of industrial process refrigeration equipment are permitted more than 30 days (or 120 days where an industrial process shutdown in accordance with paragraph (i)(2)(ii) of this section is required) to repair leaks, if the necessary parts are unavailable or if requirements of other applicable federal, state, or local regulations make a repair within 30 or 120 days impossible. Only the additional time needed to receive delivery of the necessary parts or to comply with the pertinent regulations will be permitted.
(ii) Owners or operators of industrial process refrigeration equipment will have a 120-day repair period, rather than a 30-day repair period, to repair leaks in instances where an industrial process shutdown is needed to repair a leak or leaks from industrial process refrigeration equipment.
(3) Owners or operators of industrial process refrigeration equipment and owners or operators of federally-owned commercial refrigeration equipment or of federally-owned comfort cooling appliances who are granted additional time under paragraphs (i)(1) or (i)(5) of this section, must have repairs performed in a manner that sound professional judgment indicates will bring the leak rate below the applicable allowable leak rate. When an industrial process shutdown has occurred or when repairs have been made while an appliance is mothballed, the owners or operators shall conduct an initial verification test at the conclusion of the repairs and a follow-up verification test. The follow-up verification test shall be conducted within 30 days of completing the repairs or within 30 days of bringing the appliance back on-line, if taken off-line, but no sooner than when the appliance has achieved normal operating characteristics and conditions. When repairs have been conducted without an industrial process shutdown or system mothballing, an initial verification test shall be conducted at the conclusion of the repairs, and a follow-up verification test shall be conducted within 30 days of the initial verification test. In all cases, the follow-up verification test shall be conducted at normal operating characteristics and conditions, unless sound professional judgment indicates that tests performed at normal operating characteristics and conditions will produce less reliable results, in which case the follow-up verification test shall be conducted at or near the normal operating pressure where practicable, and at or near the normal operating temperature where practicable.
(i) If the owners or operators of industrial process refrigeration equipment takes the appliance off-line, or if the owners or operators of federally-owned commercial refrigeration or of federally-owned comfort cooling appliances who are granted additional time under paragraphs (i)(1) or (i)(5) of this section take the appliance off-line, they cannot bring the appliance back on-line until an initial verification test indicates that the repairs undertaken in accordance with paragraphs (i)(1)(i), (ii), (iii), or (i)(2)(i) and (ii), or (5)(i), (ii), and (iii) of this section have been successfully completed, demonstrating the leak or leaks are repaired. The owners or operators of the industrial process refrigeration equipment, federally-owned commercial refrigeration appliances, or federally-owned comfort cooling appliances are exempted from this requirement only where the owners or operators will retrofit or retire the industrial process refrigeration equipment, federally-owned commercial refrigeration appliance, or federally-owned comfort cooling appliance in accordance with paragraph (i)(6) of this section. Under this exemption, the owner or operators may bring the industrial process refrigeration equipment, federally-owned commercial refrigeration appliance, or federally-owned comfort cooling appliance back on-line without successful completion of an initial verification test.
(ii) If the follow-up verification test indicates that the repairs to industrial process refrigeration equipment, federally-owned commercial refrigeration equipment, or federally-owned comfort cooling appliances have not been successful, the owner or operator must retrofit or retire the equipment in accordance with paragraph (i)(6) and any such longer time period as may apply under paragraphs (i)(7)(i), (ii) and (iii) or (i)(8)(i) and (ii) of this section. The owners and operators of the industrial process refrigeration equipment, federally-owned commercial refrigeration equipment, or federally-owned comfort cooling appliances are relieved of this requirement if the conditions of paragraphs (i)(3)(iv) and/or (i)(3)(v) of this section are met.
(iii) The owner or operator of industrial process refrigeration equipment that fails a follow-up verification test must notify EPA within 30 days of the failed follow-up verification test in accordance with § 82.166(n).
(iv) The owner or operator is relieved of the obligation to retrofit or replace the industrial process refrigeration equipment as discussed in paragraph (i)(6) of this section if second repair efforts to fix the same leaks that were the subject of the first repair efforts are successfully completed within 30 days or 120 days where an industrial process shutdown is required, after the initial failed follow-up verification test. The second repair efforts are subject to the same verification requirements of paragraphs (i)(3), (i)(3) (i) and (ii) of this section. The owner or operator is required to notify EPA within 30 days of the successful follow-up verification test in accordance with § 82.166(n) and the owner or operator is no longer subject to the obligation to retrofit or replace the appliance that arose as a consequence of the initial failure to verify that the leak repair efforts were successful.
(v) The owner or operator of industrial process refrigeration equipment is relieved of the obligation to retrofit or replace the equipment in accordance with paragraph (i)(6) of this section if within 180 days of the initial failed follow-up verification test, the owner or operator establishes that the appliance's annual leak rate does not exceed the applicable allowable annual leak rate, in accordance with paragraph (i)(4) of this section. If the appliance's owner or operator establishes that the appliance's annual leak rate does not exceed the applicable allowable annual leak rate, the owner or operator is required to notify EPA within 30 days of that determination in accordance with § 82.166(n) and the owner or operator would no longer be subject to the obligation to retrofit or replace the equipment that arose as a consequence of the initial failure to verify that the leak repair efforts were successful.
(4) In the case of a failed follow-up verification test subject to paragraph (i)(3)(v) of this section, the determination of whether industrial process refrigeration equipment has an annual leak rate that exceeds the applicable allowable annual leak rate will be made in accordance with parameters identified by the owner or operator in its notice to EPA regarding the failure of the initial follow-up verification test, if those parameters are acceptable to EPA; otherwise by parameters selected by EPA. The determination must be based on the full charge for the affected industrial process refrigeration equipment. The leak rate determination parameters in the owner's or operator's notice will be considered acceptable unless EPA notifies the owners or operators within 30 days of receipt of the notice. Where EPA does not accept the parameters identified by the owner or operator in its notice, EPA will not provide additional time beyond the additional time permitted in paragraph (i)(3)(v) of this section unless specifically stated in the parameters selected by EPA.
(5) Owners or operators of comfort cooling appliances normally containing more than 50 pounds of refrigerant and not covered by paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of this section must have leaks repaired in accordance with paragraph (i)(9) of this section if the appliance is leaking at a rate such that the loss of refrigerant will exceed 15 percent of the total charge during a 12-month period, except as described in paragraphs (i)(6), (i)(8) and (i)(10) of this section and paragraphs (i)(5)(i), (i)(5)(ii) and (i)(5)(iii) of this section. Repairs must bring the annual leak rate to below 15 percent.
(i) If the owners or operators of federally-owned comfort-cooling appliances determine that the leaks cannot be repaired in accordance with paragraph (i)(9) of this section and that an extension in accordance with the requirements discussed in paragraph (i)(5) of this section apply, they must document all repair efforts, and notify EPA of their inability to comply within the 30-day repair requirement, and the reason for the inability must be submitted to EPA in accordance with § 82.166(n). Such notification must be made within 30 days of discovering that leak repair efforts cannot be completed within 30 days.
(ii) Owners or operators of federally-owned comfort-cooling appliances may have more than 30 days to repair leaks where the refrigeration appliance is located in an area subject to radiological contamination or where the shutting down of the appliance will directly lead to radiological contamination. Only the additional time needed to conduct and complete work in a safe environment will be permitted.
(iii) Owners or operators of federally-owned comfort-cooling appliances requesting, or who are granted, time extensions under this paragraph must comply with paragraphs (i)(3) and (i)(4) of this section.
(6) Owners or operators are not required to repair leaks as provided in paragraphs (i)(1), (i)(2), and (i)(5) of this section if, within 30 days of discovering a leak greater than the applicable allowable leak rate, or within 30 days of a failed follow-up verification test, or after making good faith efforts to repair the leaks as described in paragraph (i)(6)(i) of this section, they develop a one-year retrofit or retirement plan for the leaking appliance. Owners or operators who decide to retrofit the appliance must use a refrigerant or substitute with a lower or equivalent ozone-depleting potential than the previous refrigerant and must include such a change in the retrofit plan. Owners or operators who retire and replace the appliance must replace the appliance with an appliance that uses a refrigerant or substitute with a lower or equivalent ozone-depleting potential and must include such a change in the retirement plan. The retrofit or retirement plan (or a legible copy) must be kept at the site of the appliance. The original plan must be made available for EPA inspection upon request. The plan must be dated, and all work performed in accordance with the plan must be completed within one year of the plan's date, except as described in paragraphs (i)(6)(i), (i)(7), and (i)(8) of this section. Owners or operators are temporarily relieved of this obligation if the appliance has undergone system mothballing as defined in § 82.152.
(i) If the owner or operator has made good faith efforts to repair leaks from the appliance in accordance with paragraphs (i)(1), (i)(2), or (i)(5) of this section and has decided prior to completing a follow-up verification test, to retrofit or retire the appliance in accordance with paragraph (i)(6) of this section, the owner or operator must develop a retrofit or retirement plan within 30 days of the decision to retrofit or retire the appliance. The owner or operator must complete the retrofit or retirement of the appliance within one year and 30 days of when the owner or operator discovered that the leak rate exceeded the applicable allowable leak rate, except as provided in paragraphs (i)(7) and (i)(8) of this section.
(ii) In all cases, subject to paragraph (i)(6)(i) of this section, the written plan shall be prepared no later than 30 days after the owner or operator has determined to proceed with retrofitting or retiring the appliance. All reports required under § 82.166(o) shall be due at the time specified in the paragraph imposing the specific reporting requirement, or no later than 30 days after the decision to retrofit or retire the appliance, whichever is later.
(iii) In cases where the owner or operator of industrial process refrigeration equipment has made good faith efforts to retrofit or retire industrial process refrigeration equipment prior to August 8, 1995, and where these efforts are not complete, the owner or operator must develop a retrofit or retirement plan that will complete the retrofit or retirement of the affected appliance by August 8, 1996. This plan (or a legible copy) must be kept at the site of the appliance. The original must be made available for EPA inspection upon request. Where the conditions of paragraphs (i)(7) and (i)(8) of this section apply, and where the length of time necessary to complete the work is beyond August 8, 1996, all records must be submitted to EPA in accordance with § 82.166(o), as well as maintained on-site.
(7) The owners or operators of industrial process refrigeration equipment will be allowed additional time to complete the retrofit or retirement of industrial process refrigeration equipment if the conditions described in paragraphs (i)(7)(i) or (i)(7)(ii) of this section are met. The owners or operators of industrial process refrigeration equipment will be allowed additional time beyond the additional time provided in paragraph (i)(7)(ii) of this section if the conditions described in paragraph (i)(7)(iii) of this section are met.
(i) Additional time, to the extent reasonably necessary will be allowed for retrofitting or retiring industrial process refrigeration equipment due to delays occasioned by the requirements of other applicable federal, state, or local laws or regulations, or due to the unavailability of a suitable replacement refrigerant with a lower ozone depletion potential. If these circumstances apply, the owner or operator of the facility must notify EPA within six months after the 30-day period following the discovery of an exceedance of the 35 percent leak rate. Records necessary to allow EPA to determine that these provisions apply and the length of time necessary to complete the work must be submitted to EPA in accordance with § 82.166(o), as well as maintained on-site. EPA will notify the owner or operator of its determination within 60 days of receipt the submittal.
(ii) An additional one-year period beyond the initial one-year retrofit period is allowed for industrial process refrigeration equipment where the following criteria are met:
(A) The new or the retrofitted industrial process refrigerant equipment is custom-built;
(B) The supplier of the appliance or one or more of its critical components has quoted a delivery time of more than 30 weeks from when the order is placed;
(C) The owner or operator notifies EPA within six months of the expiration of the 30-day period following the discovery of an exceedance of the 35 percent leak rate to identify the owner or operator, describe the appliance involved, explain why more than one year is needed, and demonstrate that the first two criteria are met in accordance with § 82.166(o); and
(D) The owner or operator maintains records that are adequate to allow a determination that the criteria are met.
(iii) The owners or operators of industrial process refrigeration equipment may request additional time to complete retrofitting or retiring industrial process refrigeration equipment beyond the additional one-year period if needed and where the initial additional one year was granted in accordance with paragraph (i)(7)(ii) of this section. The request shall be submitted to EPA before the end of the ninth month of the first additional year and shall include revisions of information required under § 82.166(o). Unless EPA objects to this request submitted in accordance with § 82.166(o) within 30 days of receipt, it shall be deemed approved.
(8) Owners or operators of federally-owned commercial or comfort-cooling appliances will be allowed an additional year to complete the retrofit or retirement of the appliances if the conditions described in paragraph (i)(8)(i) of this section are met, and will be allowed one year beyond the additional year if the conditions in paragraph (i)(8)(ii) of this section are met.
(i) Up to one additional one-year period beyond the initial one-year retrofit period is allowed for such equipment where the following criteria are met:
(A) Due to complications presented by the federal agency appropriations and/or procurement process, a delivery time of more than 30 weeks from the beginning of the official procurement process is quoted, or where the appliance is located in an area subject to radiological contamination and creating a safe working environment will require more than 30 weeks;
(B) The operator notifies EPA within six months of the expiration of the 30-day period following the discovery of an exceedance of the applicable allowable annual leak rate to identify the operator, describe the appliance involved, explain why more than one year is needed, and demonstrate that the first criterion is met in accordance with § 82.166(o); and
(C) The operator maintains records adequate to allow a determination that the criteria are met.
(ii) The owners or operators of federally-owned commercial or comfort-cooling appliances may request additional time to complete retrofitting, replacement or retiring such appliances beyond the additional one-year period if needed and where the initial additional one year was granted in accordance with paragraph (i)(8)(i) of this section. The request shall be submitted to EPA before the end of the ninth month of the first additional year and shall include revisions of information earlier submitted as required under § 82.166(o). Unless EPA objects to this request submitted in accordance with § 82.166(o) within 30 days of receipt, it shall be deemed approved.
(9) Owners or operators must repair leaks pursuant to paragraphs (i)(1), (i)(2) and (i)(5) of this section within 30 days after discovery, or within 30 days after when the leaks should have been discovered if the owners intentionally shielded themselves from information which would have revealed a leak, unless granted additional time pursuant to § 82.156(i).
(10) The amount of time for owners and operators to complete repairs, retrofit plans or retrofits/replacements/ retirements under paragraphs (i)(1), (i)(2), (i)(5), (i)(6), (i)(7), (i)(8), and (i)(9) of this section is temporarily suspended at the time an appliance is mothballed as defined in § 82.152. The time for owners and operators to complete repairs, retrofit plans, or retrofits/replacements will resume on the day the appliance is brought back on-line and is no longer considered mothballed. All initial and follow-up verification tests must be performed in accordance with paragraphs (i)(3), (i)(3)(i), and (i)(3)(ii) of this section.
(11) In calculating annual leak rates, purged refrigerant that is destroyed at a verifiable destruction efficiency of 98 percent or greater will not be counted toward the leak rate. Owners or operators destroying purged refrigerants must maintain information as set forth in § 82.166(p)(1) and submit to EPA, within 60 days after the first time such exclusion is used by that facility, information set forth in § 82.166(p)(2).
(j) Definitions for the leak repair provisions in 82.156(i). These definitions are not applicable to any other portion of subpart F other than 82.156(i). Along with paragraph (i) of this section, the definitions in this section apply only until January 1, 2019.
Appliance means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, any device which contains and uses a refrigerant and which is used for household or commercial purposes, including any air conditioner, refrigerator, chiller, or freezer.
Commercial refrigeration means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, the refrigeration appliances utilized in the retail food and cold storage warehouse sectors. Retail food includes the refrigeration equipment found in supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants and other food service establishments. Cold storage includes the equipment used to store meat, produce, dairy products, and other perishable goods. All of the equipment contains large refrigerant charges, typically over 75 pounds.
Critical component means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, a component without which industrial process refrigeration equipment will not function, will be unsafe in its intended environment, and/or will be subject to failures that would cause the industrial process served by the refrigeration appliance to be unsafe.
Custom-built means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, that the equipment or any of its critical components cannot be purchased and/or installed without being uniquely designed, fabricated and/or assembled to satisfy a specific set of industrial process conditions.
Follow-up verification test means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, those tests that involve checking the repairs within 30 days of the appliance's returning to normal operating characteristics and conditions. Follow-up verification tests for appliances from which the refrigerant charge has been evacuated means a test conducted after the appliance or portion of the appliance has resumed operation at normal operating characteristics and conditions of temperature and pressure, except in cases where sound professional judgment dictates that these tests will be more meaningful if performed prior to the return to normal operating characteristics and conditions. A follow-up verification test with respect to repairs conducted without evacuation of the refrigerant charge means a reverification test conducted after the initial verification test and usually within 30 days of normal operating conditions. Where an appliance is not evacuated, it is only necessary to conclude any required changes in pressure, temperature or other conditions to return the appliance to normal operating characteristics and conditions.
Full charge means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, the amount of refrigerant required for normal operating characteristics and conditions of the appliance as determined by using one or a combination of the following four methods:
(i) Use the equipment manufacturer's determination of the correct full charge for the equipment;
(ii) Determine the full charge by making appropriate calculations based on component sizes, density of refrigerant, volume of piping, and other relevant considerations;
(iii) Use actual measurements of the amount of refrigerant added or evacuated from the appliance; and/or
(iv) Use an established range based on the best available data regarding the normal operating characteristics and conditions for the appliance, where the midpoint of the range will serve as the full charge, and where records are maintained in accordance with § 82.166(q).
Industrial process refrigeration means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, complex customized appliances used in the chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical and manufacturing industries. These appliances are directly linked to the industrial process. This sector also includes industrial ice machines, appliances used directly in the generation of electricity, and ice rinks. Where one appliance is used for both industrial process refrigeration and other applications, it will be considered industrial process refrigeration equipment if 50 percent or more of its operating capacity is used for industrial process refrigeration.
Industrial process shutdown means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, that an industrial process or facility temporarily ceases to operate or manufacture whatever is being produced at that facility.
Initial verification test means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, those leak tests that are conducted as soon as practicable after the repair is completed. An initial verification test, with regard to the leak repairs that require the evacuation of the appliance or portion of the appliance, means a test conducted prior to the replacement of the full refrigerant charge and before the appliance or portion of the appliance has reached operation at normal operating characteristics and conditions of temperature and pressure. An initial verification test with regard to repairs conducted without the evacuation of the refrigerant charge means a test conducted as soon as practicable after the conclusion of the repair work.
Leak rate means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, the rate at which an appliance is losing refrigerant, measured between refrigerant charges. The leak rate is expressed in terms of the percentage of the appliance's full charge that would be lost over a 12-month period if the current rate of loss were to continue over that period. The rate is calculated using only one of the following methods for all appliances located at an operating facility.
(i) Method 1. (A) Step 1. Take the number of pounds of refrigerant added to the appliance to return it to a full charge and divide it by the number of pounds of refrigerant the appliance normally contains at full charge;
(B) Step 2. Take the shorter of the number of days that have passed since the last day refrigerant was added or 365 days and divide that number by 365 days;
(C) Step 3. Take the number calculated in Step 1. and divide it by the number calculated in Step 2.; and
(D) Step 4. Multiply the number calculated in Step 3. by 100 to calculate a percentage. This method is summarized in the following formula:
(ii) Method 2. (A) Step 1. Take the sum of the quantity of refrigerant added to the appliance over the previous 365-day period (or over the period that has passed since leaks in the appliance were last repaired, if that period is less than one year),
(B) Step 2. Divide the result of Step 1. by the quantity ( e.g., pounds) of refrigerant the appliance normally contains at full charge, and
(C) Step 3. Multiply the result of Step 2. by 100 to obtain a percentage. This method is summarized in the following formula:
Normal operating characteristics or conditions means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, temperatures, pressures, fluid flows, speeds and other characteristics that would normally be expected for a given process load and ambient condition during operation. Normal operating characteristics and conditions are marked by the absence of atypical conditions affecting the operation of the refrigeration appliance.
Normally containing a quantity of refrigerant means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, containing the quantity of refrigerant within the appliance or appliance component when the appliance is operating with a full charge of refrigerant.
Refrigerant means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, any substance consisting in part or whole of a class I or class II ozone-depleting substance that is used for heat transfer purposes and provides a cooling effect.
Substitute means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, any chemical or product, whether existing or new, that is used by any person as an EPA approved replacement for a class I or II ozone-depleting substance in a given refrigeration or air-conditioning end-use.
Suitable replacement refrigerant means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, a refrigerant that is acceptable under section 612(c) of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and all regulations promulgated under that section, compatible with other materials with which it may come into contact, and able to achieve the temperatures required for the affected industrial process in a technically feasible manner.
System mothballing means, for the purposes of paragraph (i) of this section, the intentional shutting down of a refrigeration appliance undertaken for an extended period of time by the owners or operators of that facility, where the refrigerant has been evacuated from the appliance or the affected isolated section of the appliance, at least to atmospheric pressure.
§ 82.157   Appliance maintenance and leak repair.
(a) Applicability. This section applies as of January 1, 2019. As of April 10, 2020, this section applies only to appliances with a full charge of 50 or more pounds of any class I or class II refrigerant or blend containing a class I or class II refrigerant. Notwithstanding the use of the term refrigerant in this section, the requirements of this section do not apply to appliances containing solely substitute refrigerants. Unless otherwise specified, the requirements of this section apply to the owner or operator of the appliance.
(b) Leak Rate Calculation. Persons adding or removing refrigerant from an appliance must, upon conclusion of that service, provide the owner or operator with documentation that meets the applicable requirements of paragraph (l)(2) of this section. The owner or operator must calculate the leak rate every time refrigerant is added to an appliance unless the addition is made immediately following a retrofit, installation of a new appliance, or qualifies as a seasonal variance.
(c) Requirement to Address Leaks through Appliance Repair, or Retrofitting or Retiring an Appliance. (1) Owners or operators must repair appliances with a leak rate over the applicable leak rate in this paragraph in accordance with paragraphs (d) through (f) of this section unless the owner or operator elects to retrofit or retire the appliance in compliance with paragraphs (h) and (i) of this section. If the owner or operator elects to repair leaks, but fails to bring the leak rate below the applicable leak rate, the owner or operator must create and implement a retrofit or retirement plan in accordance with paragraphs (h) and (i) of this section.
(2) Leak Rates:
(i) 20 percent leak rate for commercial refrigeration equipment;
(ii) 30 percent leak rate for industrial process refrigeration equipment; and
(iii) 10 percent leak rate for comfort cooling appliances or other appliances with a full charge of 50 or more pounds of refrigerant not covered by (c)(2)(i) or (ii) of this section.
(d) Appliance Repair. Owners or operators must identify and repair leaks in accordance with this paragraph within 30 days (or 120 days if an industrial process shutdown is required) of when refrigerant is added to an appliance exceeding the applicable leak rate in paragraph (c) of this section.
(1) A certified technician must conduct a leak inspection, as described in paragraph (g) of this section, to identify the location of leaks.
(2) Leaks must be repaired such that the leak rate is brought below the applicable leak rate. This must be confirmed by the leak rate calculation performed upon the next refrigerant addition. The leaks will be presumed to be repaired if there is no further refrigerant addition for 12 months after the repair or if the leak inspections required under paragraph (g) do not find any leaks in the appliance. Repair of leaks must be documented by both an initial and a follow-up verification test or tests.
(3) The time frames in paragraphs (d) through(f) of this section are temporarily suspended when an appliance is mothballed. The time will resume on the day additional refrigerant is added to the appliance (or component of an appliance if the leaking component was isolated).
(e) Verification tests. The owner or operator must conduct both initial and follow-up verification tests on each leak that was repaired under paragraph (d) of this section.
(1) Initial verification test. Unless granted additional time, an initial verification test must be performed within 30 days (or 120 days if an industrial process shutdown is required) of an appliance exceeding the applicable leak rate in paragraph (c) of this section. An initial verification test must demonstrate that leaks where a repair attempt was made are repaired.
(i) For repairs that can be completed without the need to open or evacuate the appliance, the test must be performed after the conclusion of the repair work and before any additional refrigerant is added to the appliance.
(ii) For repairs that require the evacuation of the appliance or portion of the appliance, the test must be performed before adding any refrigerant to the appliance.
(iii) If the initial verification test indicates that the repairs have not been successful, the owner or operator may conduct as many additional repairs and initial verification tests as needed within the applicable time period.
(2) Follow-up verification test. A follow-up verification test must be performed within 10 days of the successful initial verification test or 10 days of the appliance reaching normal operating characteristics and conditions (if the appliance or isolated component was evacuated for the repair(s)). Where it is unsafe to be present or otherwise impossible to conduct a follow-up verification test when the system is operating at normal operating characteristics and conditions, the verification test must, where practicable, be conducted prior to the system returning to normal operating characteristics and conditions.
(i) A follow-up verification test must demonstrate that leaks where a repair attempt was made are repaired. If the follow-up verification test indicates that the repairs have not been successful, the owner or operator may conduct as many additional repairs and verification tests as needed to bring the appliance below the leak rate within the applicable time period and to verify the repairs.
(f) Extensions to the appliance repair deadlines. Owners or operators are permitted more than 30 days (or 120 days if an industrial process shutdown is required) to comply with paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section if they meet the requirements of (f)(1) through (4) of this section or the appliance is mothballed. The request will be considered approved unless EPA notifies the owners or operators otherwise.
(1) One or more of the following conditions must apply:
(i) The appliance is located in an area subject to radiological contamination or shutting down the appliance will directly lead to radiological contamination. Additional time is permitted to the extent needed to conduct and finish repairs in a safe working environment.
(ii) Requirements of other applicable Federal, state, or local regulations make a repair within 30 days (or 120 days if an industrial process shutdown is required) impossible. Additional time is permitted to the extent needed to comply with the pertinent regulations.
(iii) Components that must be replaced as part of the repair are not available within 30 days (or 120 days if an industrial process shutdown is required). Additional time is permitted up to 30 days after receiving delivery of the necessary components, not to exceed 180 days (or 270 days if an industrial process shutdown is required) from the date the appliance exceeded the applicable leak rate.
(2) Repairs to leaks that the technician has identified as significantly contributing to the exceedance of the leak rate and that do not require additional time must be completed and verified within the initial 30 day repair period (or 120 day repair period if an industrial process shutdown is required);
(3) The owner or operator must document all repair efforts and the reason for the inability to make the repair within the initial 30 day repair period (or 120 day repair period if an industrial process shutdown is required); and
(4) The owner or operator must request an extension from EPA at the address specified in paragraph (m) of this section within 30 days (or 120 days if an industrial process shutdown is required) of the appliance exceeding the applicable leak rate in paragraph (c) of this section. Extension requests must include: Identification and address of the facility; the name of the owner or operator of the appliance; the leak rate; the method used to determine the leak rate and full charge; the date the appliance exceeded the applicable leak rate; the location of leak(s) to the extent determined to date; any repair work that has been performed thus far, including the date that work was completed; the reasons why more than 30 days (or 120 days if an industrial process shutdown is required) are needed to complete the repair; and an estimate of when the work will be completed. If the estimated completion date is to be extended, a new estimated date of completion and documentation of the reason for that change must be submitted to EPA within 30 days of identifying that the completion date must be extended. The owner or operator must keep a dated copy of this submission.
(g) Leak Inspections. (1) The owner or operator must conduct a leak inspection in accordance with the following schedule on any appliance exceeding the applicable leak rate in paragraph (c)(2) of this section.
(i) For commercial refrigeration and industrial process refrigeration appliances with a full charge of 500 or more pounds, leak inspections must be conducted once every three months until the owner or operator can demonstrate through the leak rate calculations required under paragraph (b) of this section that the appliance has not leaked in excess of the applicable leak rate for four quarters in a row.
(ii) For commercial refrigeration and industrial process refrigeration appliances with a full charge of 50 or more pounds but less than 500 pounds, leak inspections must be conducted once per calendar year until the owner or operator can demonstrate through the leak rate calculations required under paragraph (b) of this section that the appliance has not leaked in excess of the applicable leak rate for one year.
(iii) For comfort cooling appliances and other appliances not covered by paragraphs (g)(1)(i) and (ii) of this section, leak inspections must be conducted once per calendar year until the owner or operator can demonstrate through the leak rate calculations required under paragraph (b) of this section that the appliance has not leaked in excess of the applicable leak rate for one year.
(2) Leak inspections must be conducted by a certified technician using method(s) determined by the technician to be appropriate for that appliance.
(3) All visible and accessible components of an appliance must be inspected, with the following exceptions:
(i) Where components are insulated, under ice that forms on the outside of equipment, underground, behind walls, or are otherwise inaccessible;
(ii) Where personnel must be elevated more than two meters above a support surface; or
(iii) Where components are unsafe to inspect, as determined by site personnel.
(4) Quarterly or annual leak inspections are not required on appliances, or portions of appliances, continuously monitored by an automatic leak detection system that is audited or calibrated annually. An automatic leak detection system may directly detect refrigerant in air, monitor its surrounding in a manner other than detecting refrigerant concentrations in air, or monitor conditions of the appliance.
(i) For systems that directly detect the presence of a refrigerant in air, the system must:
(A) Only be used to monitor components located inside an enclosed building or structure;
(B) Have sensors or intakes placed so that they will continuously monitor the refrigerant concentrations in air in proximity to the compressor, evaporator, condenser, and other areas with a high potential for a refrigerant leak;
(C) Accurately detect a concentration level of 10 parts per million of vapor of the specific refrigerant or refrigerants used in the refrigeration appliance(s); and
(D) Alert the owner or operator when a refrigerant concentration of 100 parts per million of vapor of the specific refrigerant or refrigerants used in the refrigeration appliance(s) is reached.
(ii) For a system that monitors its surrounding in a manner other than detecting refrigerant concentrations in air or monitor conditions of the appliance, the system must automatically alert the owner or operator when measurements indicate a loss of 50 pounds of refrigerant or 10 percent of the full charge, whichever is less.
(iii) When automatic leak detection equipment is only being used to monitor portions of an appliance, the remainder of the appliance continues to be subject to any applicable leak inspection requirements.
(h) Retrofit or retirement plans. (1) The owner or operator must create a retrofit or retirement plan within 30 days of:
(i) an appliance leaking above the applicable leak rate in paragraph (c) of this section if the owner or operator intends to retrofit or retire rather than repair the leak;
(ii) an appliance leaking above the applicable leak rate in paragraph (c) of this section if the owner or operator fails to take any action to identify or repair the leak; or
(iii) an appliance continues to leak above the applicable leak rate after having conducted the required repairs and verification tests under paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section.
(2) A retrofit or retirement plan must, at a minimum, contain the following information:
(i) Identification and location of the appliance;
(ii) Type and full charge of the refrigerant used in the appliance;
(iii) Type and full charge of the refrigerant to which the appliance will be converted, if retrofitted;
(iv) Itemized procedure for converting the appliance to a different refrigerant, including changes required for compatibility with the new substitute, if retrofitted;
(v) Plan for the disposition of recovered refrigerant;
(vi) Plan for the disposition of the appliance, if retired; and
(vii) A schedule, not to exceed one-year, for completion of the appliance retrofit or retirement.
(3) The retrofit or retirement plan must be signed by an authorized company official, dated, accessible at the site of the appliance in paper copy or electronic format, and available for EPA inspection upon request.
(4) All identified leaks must be repaired as part of any retrofit under such a plan.
(5)(i) Unless granted additional time, all work performed in accordance with the plan must be finished within one year of the plan's date (not to exceed 13 months from when the plan was required in paragraph (h)(1) of this section).
(ii) The owner or operator may request that EPA relieve it of the obligation to retrofit or retire an appliance if the owner or operator can establish within 180 days of the plan's date that the appliance no longer exceeds the applicable leak rate and if the owner or operator agrees in writing to repair all identified leaks within one year of the plan's date consistent with paragraph (h)(4) and (h)(5)(i) of this section. The owner or operator must submit to EPA the retrofit or retirement plan as well as the following information: The date that the requirement to develop a retrofit or retirement plan was triggered; the leak rate; the method used to determine the leak rate and full charge; the location of the leak(s) identified in the leak inspection; a description of repair work that has been completed; a description of repair work that has not been completed; a description of why the repair was not conducted within the time frames required under paragraphs (d) and (f) of this section; and a statement signed by an authorized official that all identified leaks will be repaired and an estimate of when those repairs will be completed (not to exceed one year from date of the plan). The request will be considered approved unless EPA notifies the owners or operators within 60 days of receipt of the request that it is not approved.
(i) Extensions to the one-year retrofit or retirement schedule. Owners or operators may request more than one year to comply with paragraph (h) of this section if they meet the requirements of this paragraph. The request will be considered approved unless EPA notifies the owners or operators within 60 days of receipt of the request that it is not approved. The request must be submitted to EPA at the address specified in § 82.157(m) within seven months of discovering the appliance exceeded the applicable leak rate. The request must include the identification of the appliance; name of the owner or operator; the leak rate; the method used to determine the leak rate and full charge; the date the appliance exceeded the applicable leak rate; the location of leaks(s) to the extent determined to date; any repair work that has been finished thus far, including the date that work was finished; a plan to finish the retrofit or retirement of the appliance; the reasons why more than one year is necessary to retrofit or retire the appliance; the date of notification to EPA; and an estimate of when retrofit or retirement work will be finished. A dated copy of the request must be available on-site in either electronic or paper copy. If the estimated completion date is to be revised, a new estimated date of completion and documentation of the reason for that change must be submitted to EPA at the address specified in § 82.157(m) within 30 days. Additionally, the time frames in paragraphs (h) and (i) of this section are temporarily suspended when an appliance is mothballed. The time will resume running on the day additional refrigerant is added to the appliance (or component of an appliance if the leaking component was isolated).
(1) Extensions available to any appliance. Owners or operators of commercial refrigeration, industrial process refrigeration, comfort-cooling, or other equipment are automatically allowed 18 months to retire an appliance if the replacement appliance uses a substitute refrigerant exempted under § 82.154(a).
(2) Extensions available to industrial process refrigeration. Owners or operators of industrial process refrigeration equipment may request additional time beyond the one-year period in paragraph (h) of this section to finish the retrofit or retirement under the following circumstances.
(i) Requirements of other applicable Federal, state, or local regulations make a retrofit or retirement within one year impossible. Additional time is permitted to the extent needed to comply with the pertinent regulations;
(ii) The new or the retrofitted equipment is custom-built as defined in this subpart and the supplier of the appliance or one of its components has quoted a delivery time of more than 30 weeks from when the order is placed. The appliance or appliance components must be installed within 120 days after receiving delivery of the necessary parts; or
(iii) After receiving an extension under paragraph (i)(2)(ii) of this section, owners or operators may request additional time if necessary to finish the retrofit or retirement of equipment. The request must be submitted to EPA before the end of the ninth month of the initial extension and must include the same information submitted for that extension, with any necessary revisions. A dated copy of the request must be available on-site in either electronic or paper copy. The request will be considered approved unless EPA notifies the owners or operators within 60 days of receipt of the request that it is not approved.
(3) Extensions available to Federally owned equipment. Owners or operators of federally owned commercial or comfort-cooling equipment may request an additional year beyond the one-year period in paragraph (h) of this section to finish the retrofit or retirement under the following circumstances:
(i) A delivery time of more than 30 weeks from the beginning of the official procurement process is quoted due to complications presented by the Federal agency appropriations and/or procurement process;
(ii) The appliance is located in an area subject to radiological contamination and creating a safe working environment will require more than 30 weeks; or
(iii) After receiving a one-year extension under paragraphs (i)(3)(i) or (ii) of this section, additional time may be requested if necessary to finish the retrofit or retirement of equipment. The request must be submitted to EPA before the end of the ninth month of the one-year extension and must include the same information submitted for that one-year extension, with any necessary revisions. A dated copy of the request must be available on-site in either electronic or paper copy. The request will be considered approved unless EPA notifies the owners or operators within 60 days of receipt of the request that it is not approved.
(j) Chronically leaking appliances. Owners or operators of appliances containing 50 pounds or more of refrigerant that leak 125 percent or more of the full charge in a calendar year must submit a report to EPA at the address in paragraph (m) of this section. This report must be submitted by March 1 of the subsequent year and describe efforts to identify leaks and repair the appliance.
(k) Purged refrigerant. In calculating annual leak rates, purged refrigerant that is destroyed at a verifiable destruction efficiency of 98 percent or greater will not be counted toward the leak rate.
(l) Recordkeeping. All records identified in this paragraph must be kept for at least three years in electronic or paper format, unless otherwise specified.
(1) Owners or operators must determine the full charge of all appliances with 50 or more pounds of refrigerant and maintain the following information for each appliance until three years after the appliance is retired:
(i) The identification of the owner or operator of the appliance;
(ii) The address where the appliance is located;
(iii) The full charge of the appliance and the method for how the full charge was determined;
(iv) If using method 4 (using an established range) for determining full charge, records must include the range for the full charge of the appliance, its midpoint, and how the range was determined;
(v) Any revisions of the full charge, how they were determined, and the dates such revisions occurred.
(2) Owners or operators must maintain a record including the following information for each time an appliance with a full charge of 50 or more pounds is maintained, serviced, repaired, or disposed of, when applicable. If the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal is done by someone other than the owner or operator, that person must provide a record containing the following information, with the exception of (l)(2)(vii) and (viii) of this section, to the owner or operator:
(i) The identity and location of the appliance;
(ii) The date of the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal performed;
(iii) The part(s) of the appliance being maintained, serviced, repaired, or disposed;
(iv) The type of maintenance, service, repair, or disposal performed for each part;
(v) The name of the person performing the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal;
(vi) The amount and type of refrigerant added to, or in the case of disposal removed from, the appliance;
(vii) The full charge of the appliance; and
(viii) The leak rate and the method used to determine the leak rate (not applicable when disposing of the appliance, following a retrofit, installing a new appliance, or if the refrigerant addition qualifies as a seasonal variance).
(3) Owners or operators must keep records of leak inspections that include the date of inspection, the method(s) used to conduct the leak inspection, a list of the location of each leak that was identified, and a certification that all visible and accessible parts of the appliance were inspected. Technicians conducting leak inspections must, upon conclusion of that service, provide the owner or operator of the appliance with documentation that meets these requirements.
(4) If using an automatic leak detection system, the owner or operator must maintain records regarding the installation and the annual audit and calibration of the system, a record of each date the monitoring system identified a leak, and the location of the leak.
(5) Owners or operators must maintain records of the dates and results of all initial and follow-up verification tests. Records must include the location of the appliance, the date(s) of the verification tests, the location(s) of all repaired leaks that were tested, the type(s) of verification test(s) used, and the results of those tests. Technicians conducting initial or follow-up verification tests must, upon conclusion of that service, provide the owner or operator of the appliance with documentation that meets these requirements.
(6) Owners or operators must maintain retrofit or retirement plans developed in accordance with paragraph (h) of this section.
(7) Owners or operators must maintain retrofit and/or extension requests submitted to EPA in accordance with paragraph (i) of this section.
(8) Owners or operators that suspend the deadlines in this section by mothballing an appliance must keep records documenting when the appliance was mothballed and when additional refrigerant was added to the appliance (or isolated component).
(9) Owners or operators who exclude purged refrigerants that are destroyed from annual leak rate calculations must maintain records to support the amount of refrigerant claimed as sent for destruction. Records must be based on a monitoring strategy that provides reliable data to demonstrate that the amount of refrigerant claimed to have been destroyed is not greater than the amount of refrigerant actually purged and destroyed and that the 98 percent or greater destruction efficiency is met. Records must include flow rate, quantity or concentration of the refrigerant in the vent stream, and periods of purge flow. Records must include:
(i) The identification of the facility and a contact person, including the address and telephone number;
(ii) A description of the appliance, focusing on aspects relevant to the purging of refrigerant and subsequent destruction;
(iii) A description of the methods used to determine the quantity of refrigerant sent for destruction and type of records that are being kept by the owners or operators where the appliance is located;
(iv) The frequency of monitoring and data-recording; and
(v) A description of the control device, and its destruction efficiency.
(10) Owners or operators that exclude additions of refrigerant due to seasonal variance from their leak rate calculation must maintain records stating that they are using the seasonal variance flexibility and documenting the amount added and removed under § 82.157(l)(2).
(11) Owners or operators that submit reports to EPA in accordance with paragraph (m) of this section must maintain copies of the submitted reports and any responses from EPA.
(m) Reporting. All notifications must be submitted electronically to 608reports@epa.gov unless the notification contains confidential business information. If the notification contains confidential business information, the information should be submitted to: Section 608 Program Manager; Stratospheric Protection Division; Mail Code: 6205T; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460.
(1) Owners or operators must notify EPA at this address in accordance with paragraph (f) of this section when seeking an extension of time to complete repairs.
(2) Owners or operators must notify EPA at this address in accordance with paragraph (h)(5)(ii) of this section when seeking relief from the obligation to retrofit or retire an appliance.
(3) Owners or operators must notify EPA at this address in accordance with paragraph (i) of this section when seeking an extension of time to complete the retrofit or retirement of an appliance.
(4) Owners or operators must notify EPA at this address in accordance with paragraph (j) of this section for any appliance that leaks 125 percent or more of the full charge in a calendar year.
(5) When excluding purged refrigerants that are destroyed from annual leak rate calculations, owners or operators must notify EPA at this address within 60 days after the first time the exclusion is used by the facility where the appliance is located. The report must include the information included in paragraph (l)(9) of this section.
§ 82.158   Standards for recovery and/or recycling equipment.
Starting January 1, 2017, this section applies to recovery and/or recycling equipment for use during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of appliances containing any class I or class II refrigerant or any non-exempt substitute refrigerant.
(a) No person may manufacture or import recovery and/or recycling equipment for use during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of appliances unless the equipment is certified in accordance with this section.
(b) No person may alter the design of certified refrigerant recovery and/or recycling equipment in a way that would affect the equipment's ability to meet the certification standards in this section without resubmitting the altered design for certification testing. Until it is tested and shown to meet the certification standards in this section, equipment so altered will be considered uncertified.
(c) Recovery and/or recycling equipment manufactured or imported before November 15, 1993, intended for use during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of appliances (except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances) will be considered certified if it is capable of achieving the level of evacuation specified in Table 2 of this section when tested using a properly calibrated pressure gauge.
(d) Manufacturers and importers of recovery and/or recycling equipment must have such equipment certified by an approved equipment testing organization as follows:
(1) Recovery and/or recycling equipment manufactured or imported on or after November 15, 1993, and before September 22, 2003, intended for use during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of appliances (except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances) must be certified by an approved equipment testing organization as being capable of achieving the level of evacuation specified in Table 2 of this section under the conditions of appendix B1 of this subpart (based upon the ARI Standard 740-1993, Performance of Refrigerant Recovery, Recycling and/or Reclaim Equipment ).
(2) Recovery and/or recycling equipment manufactured or imported on or after September 22, 2003, and before January 1, 2017, intended for use during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of appliances (except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances) must be certified by an approved equipment testing organization as being capable of achieving the level of evacuation specified in Table 2 of this section under the conditions of appendix B2 of this subpart (based upon the ARI Standard 740-1995, Performance of Refrigerant Recovery, Recycling and/or Reclaim Equipment ).
(3) Recovery and/or recycling equipment manufactured or imported on or after January 1, 2017, intended for use during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of appliances (except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances) must be certified by an approved equipment testing organization as being capable of achieving the level of evacuation specified in Table 2 of this section under the conditions of appendix B3 (for non-flammable refrigerants) based upon AHRI Standard 740-2016 or appendix B4 (for flammable refrigerants) of this subpart.
Table 2—Levels of Evacuation Which Must Be Achieved by Recovery and/or Recycling Equipment
[Except for small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances.]
(4) Recovery and/or recycling equipment whose recovery efficiency cannot be tested according to the procedures in appendix B1, B2, B3, or B4 of this subpart as applicable may be certified if an approved third-party testing organization adopts and performs a test that demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Administrator, that the recovery efficiency of that equipment is equal to or better than that of equipment that:
(i) Is intended for use with the same type of appliance; and
(ii) Achieves the level of evacuation in Table 2. The manufacturer's instructions must specify how to achieve the required recovery efficiency, and the equipment must be tested when used according to these instructions.
(5) The equipment must meet the minimum requirements for certification under appendix B1, B2, B3, or B4 of this subpart as applicable.
(6) If the equipment is equipped with a noncondensables purge device, the equipment must not release more than 3 percent of the quantity of refrigerant being recycled through noncondensables purging under the conditions of appendix B1, B2, B3, or B4 of this subpart as applicable.
(7) The equipment must be equipped with low-loss fittings on all hoses.
(8) The equipment must have its liquid recovery rate and its vapor recovery rate measured under the conditions of appendix B1, B2, B3, or B4 as applicable, unless the equipment has no inherent liquid or vapor recovery rate.
(e) Small Appliances. Equipment used during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of small appliances must be certified by an approved equipment testing organization to be capable of recovering 90 percent of the refrigerant in the test stand when the compressor of the test stand is operational and 80 percent of the refrigerant when the compressor of the test stand is not operational, when used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions under the conditions of appendix C, Method for Testing Recovery Devices for Use with Small Appliances.
(1) Equipment manufactured or imported before November 15, 1993, will be considered certified if it is capable of either recovering 80 percent of the refrigerant in the system, whether or not the compressor of the test stand is operational, or achieving a four-inch vacuum when tested using a properly calibrated pressure gauge.
(2) Equipment manufactured or imported on or after November 15, 1993, may also be certified if it is capable of achieving a four-inch vacuum under the conditions of appendix B1 of this subpart, based upon ARI Standard 740-1993.
(3) Equipment manufactured or imported on or after September 22, 2003, and before January 1, 2017, may also be certified if it is capable of achieving a four-inch vacuum under the conditions of appendix B2 of this subpart, based upon ARI Standard 740-1995.
(4) Equipment manufactured or imported on or after January 1, 2017, may also be certified if it is capable of achieving a four-inch vacuum under the conditions of appendix B3 of this subpart (for non-flammable refrigerants), based upon AHRI Standard 740-2016 or appendix B4 of this subpart (for flammable refrigerants), based upon both AHRI Standard 740-2016 and UL 1963, Supplement SB, Requirements for Refrigerant Recovery/Recycling Equipment Intended for Use with a Flammable Refrigerant, Fourth Edition, June 1, 2011.
(5) Equipment used to evacuate any class I or class II refrigerant or any non-exempt substitute refrigerant from small appliances before they are disposed of may also be certified if it is capable of achieving a four-inch vacuum when tested using a properly calibrated pressure gauge.
(f) MVAC-like appliances. (1) Manufacturers and importers of recovery and/or recycling equipment intended for use during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of MVAC-like appliances must certify such equipment in accordance with subpart B of this part.
(2) Equipment manufactured or imported before November 15, 1993, intended for use during the maintenance, service, or repair of MVAC-like appliances must be capable of reducing the system pressure to 102 mm of mercury vacuum under the conditions of appendix A of subpart B of this part.
(g) MVACs. Manufacturers and importers of recovery and/or recycling equipment intended for use during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of MVACs must certify such equipment in accordance with subpart B of this part.
(h) Labeling. (1) Manufacturers and importers of equipment certified under paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section must place a label on each piece of equipment stating the following:
(2) The label must also show the date of manufacture and the serial number (if applicable) of the equipment. The label must be affixed in a readily visible or accessible location, be made of a material expected to last the lifetime of the equipment, present required information in a way that it is likely to remain legible for the lifetime of the equipment, and be affixed in such a way that it cannot be removed from the equipment without damage to the label.
(i) Retesting. At least once every three years, manufacturers or importers of certified recovery and/or recycling equipment intended for use during the maintenance, service, or repair of appliances (except MVACs or MVAC-like appliances) or during the disposal of appliances (except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances) must have approved equipment testing organizations conduct either:
(1) Retests of certified recovery and/or recycling equipment in accordance with paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section; or
(2) Inspections of recovery and/or recycling equipment at manufacturing facilities to ensure that each equipment model line that has been certified under this section continues to meet the certification criteria.
(j) Revocation. An equipment model line that has been certified under this section may have its certification revoked if it is subsequently determined to fail to meet the certification criteria. In such cases, the Administrator must give notice to the manufacturer or importer setting forth the basis for the determination.
(k) Equipment that is advertised or marketed as “recycling equipment” must be capable of recycling the standard contaminated refrigerant sample of appendix B2, B3, or B4 of this subpart (as applicable) to the levels in the following table when tested under the conditions of appendix B2, B3 or B4 of this subpart:
Maximum Levels of Contaminants Permissible in Refrigerant Processed Through Equipment Advertised as “Recycling” Equipment
§ 82.160   Approved equipment testing organizations.
(a) Any equipment testing organization may apply for approval by the Administrator to certify equipment under the standards in § 82.158 and appendices B2, B3, B4, or C of this subpart. Applications must be sent to 608reports@epa.gov , or if containing confidential business information, mailed to: Section 608 Program Manager, Stratospheric Protection Division, Mail Code: 6205T, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460.
(b) Applications for approval must include:
(1) A list of equipment present at the organization that will be used for equipment testing.
(2) Verification of the organization's expertise in equipment testing and the technical experience of the organization's personnel.
(3) Verification of the organization's knowledge of the standards and recordkeeping and reporting requirements of this subpart.
(4) A description of the organization's program for verifying the performance of certified recovery and/or recycling equipment manufactured over the long term, specifying whether retests of equipment or inspections of equipment at manufacturing facilities will be used.
(5) Verification that the organization has no conflict of interest and receives no direct or indirect financial benefit from the outcome of certification testing.
(6) Agreement to allow the Administrator access to records and personnel to verify the information contained in the application.
(c) Organizations may not certify equipment before receiving approval from EPA. If approval is denied under this section, the Administrator must give written notice to the organization setting forth the basis for the determination.
(d) If an approved testing organization conducts certification tests in a way not consistent with the representations made in its application or with the provisions of this subpart, the Administrator may revoke approval in accordance with § 82.169. In such cases, the Administrator must give notice to the organization setting forth the basis for the determination.
(e) Recordkeeping and reporting. (1) Approved equipment testing organizations must maintain records of equipment testing and performance and a list of equipment that meets EPA requirements. This list must include the name of the manufacturer and the name and/or serial number of the model line. Approved equipment testing organizations must publish online a list of all certified equipment that includes the information specified above and update the list annually.
(2) Approved equipment testing organizations must notify EPA at 608reports@epa.gov if retests of equipment or inspections of manufacturing facilities conducted under to § 82.158(i) show that a previously certified model line fails to meet EPA requirements. Such notification must be received within thirty days of the retest or inspection.
(3) All records must be maintained for three years after the equipment is no longer offered for sale. Online lists must contain certified equipment until three years after that equipment is no longer offered for sale.
§ 82.161   Technician certification.
Until January 1, 2018, this section applies only to technicians and organizations certifying technicians that maintain, service, or repair appliances containing class I or class II refrigerants. Starting on January 1, 2018, this section applies to technicians and organizations certifying technicians that maintain, service, or repair appliances containing any class I or class II refrigerant or any non-exempt substitute refrigerant.
(a) Certification Requirements. (1) Any person who could be reasonably expected to violate the integrity of the refrigerant circuit during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of appliances (as follows in this paragraph) containing a class I or class II refrigerant or a non-exempt substitute refrigerant must pass a certification exam offered by an approved technician certification program.
(i) Persons who maintain, service, or repair small appliances must be certified as Type I technicians.
(ii) Persons who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of medium-, high-, or very high-pressure appliances (except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances) must be certified as Type II technicians.
(iii) Persons who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of low-pressure appliances must be certified as Type III technicians.
(iv) Persons who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of all appliances described in paragraph (a)(1)(i) through (iii) of this section must be certified as Universal technicians.
(v) Technicians who maintain, service, or repair MVAC-like appliances must either be certified as Type II technicians or be certified in accordance with 40 CFR part 82, subpart B.
(vi) Persons who maintain, service, or repair MVAC appliances for consideration must be certified in accordance with 40 CFR part 82, subpart B.
(vii) Persons who dispose of small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances are not required to be certified.
(2) Apprentices are exempt from the requirement in paragraph (a)(1) of this section provided the apprentice is closely and continually supervised by a certified technician while performing any maintenance, service, repair, or disposal that could reasonably be expected to release refrigerant from an appliance into the environment, except those substitute refrigerants exempted under paragraph (a)(1) of this section. The supervising certified technician and the apprentice have the responsibility to ensure that the apprentice complies with this subpart.
(3) The Administrator may require technicians to demonstrate at their place of business their ability to perform proper procedures for recovering and/or recycling refrigerant, except those substitute refrigerants exempted under paragraph (a)(1) of this section. Failure to demonstrate or failure to properly use the equipment may result in revocation or suspension of the certificate. Failure to abide by any of the provisions of this subpart may also result in revocation or suspension of the certificate. If a technician's certificate is revoked, the technician would need to recertify before maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing of any appliances.
(4) (i) Technicians certified under this section must keep a copy of their certificate at their place of business.
(ii) Technicians must maintain a copy of their certificate until three years after no longer operating as a technician.
(5) Recertification. The Administrator reserves the right to specify a requirement for technician recertification at some future date, if necessary, by placing a notice in the Federal Register .
(b) Requirements for Technician Certification Programs. (1) No technician training or testing program may issue certificates under this section unless the program complies with all the standards of this section and appendix D, and has been granted approval by the Administrator.
(2) Program Approval. Persons may seek approval of any technician certification program (program), in accordance with this paragraph, by submitting to the Administrator at the address in § 82.160(a) verification that the program meets all the standards listed in appendix D of this subpart. The Administrator reserves the right to consider other relevant factors to ensure the effectiveness of certification programs. If approval is denied under this section, the Administrator must give written notice to the program setting forth the basis for the determination.
(3) Alternative Examinations. Programs are encouraged to make provisions for non-English speaking technicians by providing tests in other languages or allowing the use of a translator when taking the test. A test may be administered orally to any person who makes this request, in writing, to the program at least 30 days before the scheduled date for the examination. The written request must explain why the request is being made.
(4) Proof of Certification. Programs certifying technicians must provide technicians with identification cards in accordance with section (f) of appendix D of this subpart.
(5) Programs certifying technicians must maintain records in accordance with section (g) of appendix D of this subpart.
(6) Starting January 1, 2018, programs certifying technicians, excluding Federally-run programs, must publish online a list of all technicians they have certified on or after January 1, 2017. Certifying organizations must update these lists at least annually.
(i) The list must include the first name, middle initial, and last name of the certified technician, the technician's city of residence when taking the test, the type(s) of certification received, and the date each certification was received.
(ii) Programs certifying technicians must provide notice to technicians that such information will be published online in compliance with any other Federal, state or local regulations, and allow technicians to opt out of being included in such lists.
(7) If an approved program violates any of the above requirements, the Administrator may revoke approval in accordance with § 82.169. In such cases, the Administrator must give notice to the organization setting forth the basis for the determination.
(c) Test Subject Material. A bank of test questions developed by the Administrator consists of groups, including a core group and technical groups. The Administrator will release this bank of questions only to approved technician certification programs. Each test for each type of certification must include at least 25 questions drawn from the core group and at least 25 questions drawn from each relevant technical group. These questions must address the subject areas in appendix D of this subpart.
§ 82.162   [Reserved]
§ 82.164   Reclaimer certification.
(a) All persons reclaiming used class I or II refrigerant or non-exempt substitute refrigerant for sale to a new owner must meet the following requirements:
(1) Reclaim such refrigerant to all the specifications in appendix A of this subpart (based on AHRI Standard 700-2016, Specifications for Refrigerants ) that are applicable to that refrigerant;
(2) Verify that each batch of such refrigerant reclaimed meets these specifications using the analytical methodology prescribed in appendix A of this subpart, which includes the primary methodologies included in appendix A of AHRI Standard 700-2016;
(3) Release no more than 1.5 percent of the refrigerant during the reclamation process;
(4) Dispose of wastes from the reclamation process in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations; and
(5) Maintain records and submit reports in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section.
(b) The owner or a responsible officer reclaiming used refrigerant for sale to a new owner, except for persons who properly certified under this section before May 11, 2004, must certify to the Administrator at the address in § 82.160(a) that they will meet the requirements in paragraph (a) of this section. The certification must include the name and address of the reclaimer and a list of equipment used to reclaim the refrigerant to the required standard, and to analyze the refrigerant to ensure it meets these specifications.
(c) Certificates are not transferable. In the event of a change in ownership of an entity which reclaims refrigerant, the new owner of the entity must certify with the Administrator within 30 days of the change that they will meet the reclaimer certification requirements. In the event of a change in business management, location, or contact information, the owner of the entity must notify EPA within 30 days of the change at the address in § 82.160(a).
(d) Recordkeeping and reporting. (1) Reclaimers must maintain records, by batch, of the results of the analysis conducted to verify that reclaimed refrigerant meets the necessary specifications in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.
(2) Reclaimers must maintain records of the names and addresses of persons sending them material for reclamation and the quantity of the material (the combined mass of refrigerant and contaminants) by refrigerant type sent to them for reclamation. Such records must be maintained on a transactional basis for three years.
(3) Reclaimers must report to the Administrator annually by February 1 of the next calendar year the total annual quantity of material (the combined mass of refrigerant and contaminants) by refrigerant type sent to them for reclamation, the total annual mass of each refrigerant reclaimed, and the total annual mass of waste products.
(e) Failure to abide by any of the provisions of this subpart may result in revocation or suspension of the certification of the reclaimer in accordance with § 82.169. In such cases, the Administrator must give notice to the organization setting forth the basis for the determination.
§ 82.166   Reporting and recordkeeping requirements for leak repair.
This section contains leak repair reporting and recordkeeping requirements that apply to owners and operators of appliances containing 50 or more pounds of class I or class II refrigerants until January 1, 2019. Starting January 1, 2019, the recordkeeping and reporting requirements in the leak repair provisions in § 82.157(l) and (m) apply to owners and operators of appliances containing 50 or more pounds of class I or class II refrigerants or non-exempt substitutes.
(a)-(i) [Reserved]
(j) Persons servicing appliances normally containing 50 or more pounds of refrigerant must provide the owner/operator of such appliances with an invoice or other documentation, which indicates the amount of refrigerant added to the appliance.
(k) Owners/operators of appliances normally containing 50 or more pounds of refrigerant must keep servicing records documenting the date and type of service, as well as the quantity of refrigerant added. The owner/operator must keep records of refrigerant purchased and added to such appliances in cases where owners add their own refrigerant. Such records should indicate the date(s) when refrigerant is added.
(l) [Reserved]
(m) All records required to be maintained pursuant to this section must be kept for a minimum of three years unless otherwise indicated.
(n) The owners or operators of appliances must maintain on-site and report to EPA Headquarters at the address listed in § 82.160 the information specified in paragraphs (n)(1), (n)(2), and (n)(3) of this section, within the timelines specified under § 82.156 (i)(1), (i)(2), (i)(3) and (i)(5) where such reporting or recordkeeping is required. This information must be relevant to the affected appliance.
(1) An initial report to EPA under § 82.156(i)(1)(i), (i)(2), or (i)(5)(i) regarding why more than 30 days are needed to complete repairs must include: Identification of the facility; the leak rate; the method used to determine the leak rate and full charge; the date a leak rate above the applicable leak rate was discovered; the location of leak(s) to the extent determined to date; any repair work that has been completed thus far and the date that work was completed; the reasons why more than 30 days are needed to complete the work and an estimate of when the work will be completed. If changes from the original estimate of when work will be completed result in extending the completion date from the date submitted to EPA, the reasons for these changes must be documented and submitted to EPA within 30 days of discovering the need for such a change.
(2) If the owners or operators intend to establish that the appliance's leak rate does not exceed the applicable allowable leak rate in accordance with § 82.156(i)(3)(v), the owner or operator must submit a plan to fix other outstanding leaks for which repairs are planned but not yet completed to achieve a rate below the applicable allowable leak rate. A plan to fix other outstanding leaks in accordance with § 82.156(i)(3)(v) must include the following information: The identification of the facility; the leak rate; the method used to determine the leak rate and full charge; the date a leak rate above the applicable allowable leak rate was discovered; the location of leak(s) to the extent determined to date; and any repair work that has been completed thus far, including the date that work was completed. Upon completion of the repair efforts described in the plan, a second report must be submitted that includes the date the owner or operator submitted the initial report concerning the need for additional time beyond the 30 days and notification of the owner or operator's determination that the leak rate no longer exceeds the applicable allowable leak rate. This second report must be submitted within 30 days of determining that the leak rate no longer exceeds the applicable allowable leak rate.
(3) Owners or operators must maintain records of the dates, types, and results of all initial and follow-up verification tests performed under § 82.156(i)(3). Owners or operators must submit this information to EPA within 30 days after conducting each test only where required under § 82.156 (i)(1), (i)(2), (i)(3) and (i)(5). These reports must also include: Identification and physical address of the facility; the leak rate; the method used to determine the leak rate and full charge; the date a leak rate above the applicable allowable leak rate was discovered; the location of leak(s) to the extent determined to date; and any repair work that has been completed thus far and the date that work was completed. Submitted reports must be dated and include the name of the owner or operator of the appliance, and must be signed by an authorized company official.
(o) The owners or operators of appliances must maintain on-site and report to EPA at the address specified in § 82.160 the following information where such reporting and recordkeeping is required and in the timelines specified in § 82.156 (i)(7) and (i)(8), in accordance with § 82.156 (i)(7) and (i)(8). This information must be relevant to the affected appliance and must include:
(1) The identification of the industrial process facility;
(2) The leak rate;
(3) The method used to determine the leak rate and full charge;
(4) The date a leak rate above the applicable allowable rate was discovered.
(5) The location of leaks(s) to the extent determined to date;
(6) Any repair work that has been completed thus far and the date that work was completed;
(7) A plan to complete the retrofit or retirement of the system;
(8) The reasons why more than one year is necessary to retrofit or retire the system;
(9) The date of notification to EPA; and
(10) An estimate of when retrofit or retirement work will be completed. If the estimated date of completion changes from the original estimate and results in extending the date of completion, the owner or operator must submit to EPA the new estimated date of completion and documentation of the reason for the change within 30 days of discovering the need for the change, and must retain a dated copy of this submission.
(p)(1) Owners or operators who wish to exclude purged refrigerants that are destroyed from annual leak rate calculations must maintain records on-site to support the amount of refrigerant claimed as sent for destruction. Records shall be based on a monitoring strategy that provides reliable data to demonstrate that the amount of refrigerant claimed to have been destroyed is not greater than the amount of refrigerant actually purged and destroyed and that the 98 percent or greater destruction efficiency is met. Records shall include flow rate, quantity or concentration of the refrigerant in the vent stream, and periods of purge flow.
(2) Owners or operators who wish to exclude purged refrigerants that are destroyed from annual leak rate calculations must maintain on-site and make available to EPA upon request the following information after the first time the exclusion is utilized by the facility:
(i) The identification of the facility and a contact person, including the address and telephone number;
(ii) A general description of the refrigerant appliance, focusing on aspects of the appliance relevant to the purging of refrigerant and subsequent destruction;
(iii) A description of the methods used to determine the quantity of refrigerant sent for destruction and type of records that are being kept by the owners or operators where the appliance is located;
(iv) The frequency of monitoring and data-recording; and
(v) A description of the control device, and its destruction efficiency.
(q) Owners or operators choosing to determine the full charge as defined in § 82.156(j) of an affected appliance by using an established range or using that methodology in combination with other methods for determining the full charge as defined in § 82.156(j) must maintain the following information:
(1) The identification of the owner or operator of the appliance;
(2) The location of the appliance;
(3) The original range for the full charge of the appliance, its midpoint, and how the range was determined;
(4) Any and all revisions of the full charge range and how they were determined; and
(5) The dates such revisions occurred.
§ 82.168   Incorporation by Reference.
(a) Certain material is incorporated by reference into this subpart part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. You can obtain the material from the sources listed below. You may inspect a copy of the approved material at U.S. EPA's Air and Radiation Docket; EPA West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC, or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call (202) 741-6030 or go to http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html .
(b) Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), 2111 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22201, www.ahrinet.org .
(1) AHRI Standard 110-2016, 2016 Standard for Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigerating Equipment Nameplate Voltages , copyright 2016, into Appendix B3 to subpart F.
(2) 2008 Appendix C to AHRI Standard 700-2014, 2008 Appendix C for Analytical Procedures for AHRI Standard 700-2014 — Normative , copyright 2008, into Appendix A to subpart F.
(3) 2008 Appendix D to AHRI Standard 700-2014, 2012 Appendix D for Gas Chromatograms for AHRI Standard 700-2014—Informative , copyright 2012, into Appendix A to subpart F.
(c) American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc., (ASHRAE), 1791 Tullie Circle NE., Atlanta, GA 30329, U.S.A.
(1) ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 63.2-1996 (RA 2010), Method of Testing Liquid-Line Filter Drier Filtration Capability, Reaffirmed June 26, 2010, into Appendix B3 to subpart F.
(d) ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, www.astm.org .
(1) ASTM D1296-01 (Reapproved 2012), Standard Test Method for Odor of Volatile Solvents and Diluents , approved July 1, 2012, into Appendix A to subpart F.
(2) [Reserved]
(e) Gas Processors Association, 6526 East 60th Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74145.
(1) GPA Standard STD-2177-13, Analysis of Natural Gas Liquid Mixtures Containing Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide by Gas Chromatography , Revised, copyright 2013, into Appendix A to subpart F.
(2) [Reserved]
(f) General Services Administration, 301 7th St. SW., Washington, DC 20410.
(1) BB-F-1421B, Federal Specification for “Fluorocarbon Refrigerants,” dated March 5, 1982, IBR approved for Appendix A to subpart F.
(2) [Reserved]
(g) International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), 3, rue de Varembé, P.O. Box 131. CH-1211 Geneva 20—Switzerland, 41 22 919 02 11, http://www.iec.ch .
(1) IEC 60038, IEC Standard Voltages , Edition 7.0, 2009-06, into Appendix B3 to subpart F.
(2) [Reserved]
(h) Underwriters Laboratories (UL), 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062, 847-272-8800, http://www.ul.com .
(1) UL 1963, Standard for Safety Requirements for Refrigerant Recovery/Recycling Equipment , Fourth Edition (with revisions through October 13, 2013), June 1, 2011, in appendix B3 to subpart F, appendix B4 to subpart F.
(2) [Reserved]
§ 82.169   Suspension and revocation procedures.
(a) Failure to abide by any of the provisions of this subpart may result in the revocation or suspension of the approval to certify technicians (under § 82.161), approval to act as a recovery/recycling equipment testing organization (under § 82.160), or reclaimer certification (under § 82.164), hereafter referred to as the “organization.” In such cases, the Administrator or her or his designated representative shall give notice of an impending suspension to the person or organization setting forth the facts or conduct that provide the basis for the revocation or suspension.
(b) Any organization that has received notice of an impending suspension or revocation may choose to request a hearing and must file that request in writing within 30 days of the date of the Agency's notice at the address listed in § 82.160 and shall set forth their objections to the revocation or suspension and data to support the objections.
(c) If the Agency does not receive a written request for a hearing within 30 days of the date of the Agency's notice, the revocation will become effective upon the date specified in the notice of an impending suspension.
(d) If after review of the request and supporting data, the Administrator or her or his designated representative finds that the request raises a substantial factual issue, she or he shall provide the organization with a hearing.
(e) After granting a request for a hearing the Administrator or her or his designated representative shall designate a Presiding Officer for the hearing.
(f) The hearing shall be held as soon as practicable at a time and place determined by the Administrator, the designated representative, or the Presiding Officer.
(g) The Administrator or her or his designated representative may, at his or her discretion, direct that all argument and presentation of evidence be concluded within a specified period established by the Administrator or her or his designated representative. Said period may be no less than 30 days from the date that the first written offer of a hearing is made to the applicant. To expedite proceedings, the Administrator or her or his designated representative may direct that the decision of the Presiding Officer (who need not be the Administrator) shall be the final EPA decision.
(h) Upon appointment pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section, the Presiding Officer will establish a hearing file. The file shall consist of the following:
(1) The notice issued by the Administrator under § 82.169(a);
(2) the request for a hearing and the supporting data submitted therewith;
(3) all documents relating to the request for certification and all documents submitted therewith; and
(4) correspondence and other data material to the hearing.
(i) The hearing file will be available for inspection by the petitioner at the office of the Presiding Officer.
(j) An applicant may appear in person or may be represented by counsel or by any other duly authorized representative.
(k) The Presiding Officer, upon the request of any party or at his or her discretion, may arrange for a pre-hearing conference at a time and place he or she specifies. Such pre-hearing conferences will consider the following:
(1) Simplification of the issues;
(2) Stipulations, admissions of fact, and the introduction of documents;
(3) Limitation of the number of expert witnesses;
(4) Possibility of agreement disposing of any or all of the issues in dispute; and
(5) Such other matters as may aid in the disposition of the hearing, including such additional tests as may be agreed upon by the parties.
(l) The results of the conference shall be reduced to writing by the Presiding Officer and made part of the record.
(m) Hearings shall be conducted by the Presiding Officer in an informal but orderly and expeditious manner. The parties may offer oral or written evidence, subject to the exclusion by the Presiding Officer of irrelevant, immaterial, and repetitious evidence.
(n) Witnesses will not be required to testify under oath. However, the Presiding Officer shall call to the attention of witnesses that their statements may be subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. 1001, which imposes penalties for knowingly making false statements or representations or using false documents in any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States.
(o) Any witness may be examined or cross-examined by the Presiding Officer, the parties, or their representatives.
(p) Hearings shall be reported verbatim. Copies of transcripts of proceedings may be purchased by the petitioner from the reporter.
(q) All written statements, charts, tabulations, and similar data offered in evidence at the hearings shall, upon a showing satisfactory to the Presiding Officer of their authenticity, relevancy, and materiality, be received in evidence and shall constitute a part of the record.
(r) Oral argument may be permitted at the discretion of the Presiding Officer and shall be reported as part of the record unless otherwise ordered by the Presiding Officer.
(s) The Presiding Officer shall make an initial decision that shall include written findings and conclusions and the reasons or basis regarding all the material issues of fact, law, or discretion presented on the record. The findings, conclusions, and written decision shall be provided to the parties and made a part of the record. The initial decision shall become the decision of the Administrator without further proceedings, unless there is an appeal to the Administrator or motion for review by the Administrator within 20 days of the date the initial decision was filed.
(t) On appeal from or review of the initial decision, the Administrator or her or his designated representative shall have all the powers which he or she would have in making the initial decision, including the discretion to require or allow briefs, oral argument, the taking of additional evidence, or a remand to the Presiding Officer for additional proceedings. The decision by the Administrator or her or his designated representative shall include written findings and conclusions and the reasons or basis therefore on all the material issues of fact, law, or discretion presented on the appeal or considered in the review.
§ 82.170   Purpose and scope.
(a) The purpose of these regulations in this subpart is to implement section 612 of the Clean Air Act, as amended, regarding the safe alternatives policy on the acceptability of substitutes for ozone-depleting compounds. This program will henceforth be referred to as the “Significant New Alternatives Policy” (SNAP) program. The objectives of this program are to identify substitutes for ozone-depleting compounds, to evaluate the acceptability of those substitutes, to promote the use of those substitutes believed to present lower overall risks to human health and the environment, relative to the class I and class II compounds being replaced, as well as to other substitutes for the same end-use, and to prohibit the use of those substitutes found, based on the same comparisons, to increase overall risks.
(b) The regulations in this subpart describe persons and substitutes subject to reporting requirements under the SNAP program and explain preparation and submission of notices and petitions on substitutes. The regulations also establish Agency procedures for reviewing and processing EPA's determinations regarding notices and petitions on substitutes. Finally, the regulations prohibit the use of alternatives which EPA has determined may have adverse effects on human health or the environment where EPA has identified alternatives in particular industrial use sectors that on an overall basis, reduce risk to human health and the environment and are currently or potentially available. EPA will only prohibit substitutes where it has identified other substitutes for a specific application that are acceptable and are currently or potentially available.
(c) Notifications, petitions and other materials requested shall be sent to: SNAP Document Control Officer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (6205-J), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
§ 82.172   Definitions.
Act means the Clean Air Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Agency means the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Application means a specific use within a major industrial sector end-use.
Class I or class II means the specific ozone-depleting compounds described in section 602 of the Act.
Decision means any final determination made by the Agency under section 612 of the Act on the acceptability or unacceptability of a substitute for a class I or II compound.
EPA means the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
End-use means processes or classes of specific applications within major industrial sectors where a substitute is used to replace an ozone-depleting substance.
Formulator means any person engaged in the preparation or formulation of a substitute, after chemical manufacture of the substitute or its components, for distribution or use in commerce.
Health and safety study or study means any study of any effect of a substitute or its components on health and safety, or the environment or both, including underlying data and epidemiological studies, studies of occupational, ambient, and consumer exposure to a substitute, toxicological, clinical, and ecological, or other studies of a substitute and its components, and any other pertinent test. Chemical identity is always part of a health and safety study. Information which arises as a result of a formal, disciplined study is included in the definition. Also included is information relating to the effects of a substitute or its components on health or the environment. Any available data that bear on the effects of a substitute or its components on health or the environment would be included. Examples include:
(1) Long- and short-term tests of mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, or teratogenicity; data on behavioral disorders; dermatoxicity; pharmacological effects; mammalian absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion; cumulative, additive, and synergistic effects; acute, subchronic, and chronic effects; and structure/activity analyses;
(2) Tests for ecological or other environmental effects on invertebrates, fish, or other animals, and plants, including: Acute toxicity tests, chronic toxicity tests, critical life stage tests, behavioral tests, algal growth tests, seed germination tests, microbial function tests, bioconcentration or bioaccumulation tests, and model ecosystem (microcosm) studies;
(3) Assessments of human and environmental exposure, including workplace exposure, and effects of a particular substitute on the environment, including surveys, tests, and studies of: Biological, photochemical, and chemical degradation; air, water and soil transport; biomagnification and bioconcentration; and chemical and physical properties, e.g., atmospheric lifetime, boiling point, vapor pressure, evaporation rates from soil and water, octanol/water partition coefficient, and water solubility;
(4) Monitoring data, when they have been aggregated and analyzed to measure the exposure of humans or the environment to a substitute; and
(5) Any assessments of risk to health or the environment resulting from the manufacture, processing, distribution in commerce, use, or disposal of the substitute or its components.
Importer means any person who imports a chemical substitute into the United States. Importer includes the person primarily liable for the payment of any duties on the merchandise or an authorized agent acting on his or her behalf. The term also includes, as appropriate:
(1) The consignee;
(2) The importer of record;
(3) The actual owner; and
(4) The transferee, if the right to draw merchandise in a bonded warehouse has been transferred.
Major Industrial Use Sector or Sector means an industrial category which EPA has reviewed under the SNAP program with historically high consumption patterns of ozone-depleting substances, including: Refrigeration and air conditioning; foam-blowing; fire suppression and explosion protection; solvents cleaning; aerosols; sterilants; tobacco expansion; pesticides; and adhesives, coatings and inks sectors.
Manufacturer means any person engaged in the direct manufacture of a substitute.
Mixture means any mixture or blend of two or more compounds.
Person includes an individual, corporation, partnership, association, state, municipality, political subdivision of a state, and any agency, department, or instrumentality of the United States and any officer, agent, or employee of such entities.
Pesticide has the meaning contained in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq. and the regulations issued under it.
Potentially available is defined as any alternative for which adequate health, safety, and environmental data, as required for the SNAP notification process, exist to make a determination of acceptability, and which the Agency reasonably believes to be technically feasible, even if not all testing has yet been completed and the alternative is not yet produced or sold.
Premanufacture Notice (PMN) Program has the meaning described in 40 CFR part 720, subpart A promulgated under the Toxic Substances Control Act, 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.
Producer means any person who manufactures, formulates or otherwise creates a substitute in its final form for distribution or use in interstate commerce.
Research and development means quantities of a substitute manufactured, imported, or processed or proposed to be manufactured, imported, or processed solely for research and development.
Residential use means use by a private individual of a chemical substance or any product containing the chemical substance in or around a permanent or temporary household, during recreation, or for any personal use or enjoyment. Use within a household for commercial or medical applications is not included in this definition, nor is use in automobiles, watercraft, or aircraft.
Significant new use means use of a new or existing substitute in a major industrial use sector as a result of the phaseout of ozone-depleting compounds.
Small uses means any use of a substitute in a sector other than a major industrial use sector, or production by any producer for use of a substitute in a major industrial sector of 10,000 lbs. or less per year.
Substitute or alternative means any chemical, product substitute, or alternative manufacturing process, whether existing or new, intended for use as a replacement for a class I or II compound.
Test marketing means the distribution in interstate commerce of a substitute to no more than a limited, defined number of potential customers to explore market viability in a competitive situation. Testing must be restricted to a defined testing period before the broader distribution of that substitute in interstate commerce.
Use means any use of a substitute for a Class I or Class II ozone-depleting compound, including but not limited to use in a manufacturing process or product, in consumption by the end-user, or in intermediate uses, such as formulation or packaging for other subsequent uses.
Use restrictions means restrictions on the use of a substitute imposing either conditions on how the substitute can be used across a sector end-use or limits on the end-uses or specific applications where it can be used within a sector.
§ 82.174   Prohibitions.
(a) No person may introduce a new substitute into interstate commerce before the expiration of 90 days after a notice is initially submitted to EPA under § 82.176(a).
(b) No person may use a substitute which a person knows or has reason to know was manufactured, processed or imported in violation of the regulations in this subpart, or knows or has reason to know was manufactured, processed or imported in violation of any use restriction in the acceptability determination, after the effective date of any rulemaking imposing such restrictions.
(c) No person may use a substitute without adhering to any use restrictions set by the acceptability decision, after the effective date of any rulemaking imposing such restrictions.
(d) No person may use a substitute after the effective date of any rulemaking adding such substitute to the list of unacceptable substitutes.
(e) Rules Stayed for Reconsideration. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subpart, the effectiveness of subpart G is stayed from December 8, 1994, to March 8, 1995, only as applied to use of substitutes for export.
§ 82.176   Applicability.
(a) Any producer of a new substitute must submit a notice of intent to introduce a substitute into interstate commerce 90 days prior to such introduction. Any producer of an existing substitute already in interstate commerce must submit a notice as of July 18, 1994, if such substitute has not already been reviewed and approved by the Agency.
(b) With respect to the following substitutes, producers are exempt from notification requirements:
(1) Substitutes already listed as acceptable. Producers need not submit notices on substitutes that are already listed as acceptable under SNAP.
(2) Small sectors. Persons using substitutes in sectors other than the nine principal sectors reviewed under this program are exempt from the notification requirements. This exemption shall not be construed to nullify an unacceptability determination or to allow use of an otherwise unacceptable substitute.
(3) Small volume use within SNAP sectors. Within the nine principal SNAP sectors, persons introducing a substitute whose expected volume of use amounts to less than 10,000 lbs. per year within a SNAP sector are exempt from notification requirements. This exemption shall not be construed to allow use of an otherwise unacceptable substitute in any quantity. Persons taking advantage of this exemption for small uses must maintain documentation for each substitute describing how the substitute meets this small use definition. This documentation must include annual production and sales information by sector.
(4) Research and development. Production of substitutes for the sole purpose of research and development is exempt from reporting requirements.
(5) Test marketing. Use of substitutes for the sole purpose of test marketing is exempt from SNAP notification requirements until 90 days prior to the introduction of such substitutes for full-scale commercial sale in interstate commerce. Persons taking advantage of this exemption are, however, required to notify the Agency in writing that they are conducting test marketing 30 days prior to the commencement of such marketing. Notification shall include the name of the substitute, the volume used in the test marketing, intended sector end-uses, and expected duration of the test marketing period.
(6) Formulation changes. In cases where replacement of class I or II compounds causes formulators to change other components in a product, formulators are exempt from reporting with respect to these auxiliary formulation changes. However, the SNAP submitter is required to notify the Agency if such changes are expected to significantly increase the environmental and human health risk associated with the use of any class I or class II substitute.
(7) Substitutes used as feedstocks. Producers of substitutes used as feedstocks which are largely or entirely consumed, transformed or destroyed in the manufacturing or use process are exempt from reporting requirements concerning such substitutes.
(c) Use of a substitute in the possession of an end-user as of March 18, 1994, listed as unacceptable or acceptable subject to narrowed use limits may continue until the individual end-users' existing supply, as of that date, of the substitute is exhausted. Use of substitutes purchased after March 18, 1994, is not permitted subsequent to April 18, 1994.