Washington Administrative Code › Title 173 - Ecology, Department of (See also Titles 197, 317, 372, and 508) › Chapter 173-443 - Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and other fluorinated greenhouse gases › Part I - PROHIBITIONS ON THE USE OF CERTAIN HYDROFLUOROCARBONS › Section 173-443-050 - Exemptions applicable to WAC 173-443-040, Tables 1 through 3

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) Table 1 in this
				section lists exemptions to the prohibitions listed in WAC
				173-443-040, Table 1.
TABLE 1. Exemptions for New Products and
				  Equipment
End-Use
Prohibited
							 Substances
Exemptions
Aerosol propellants
HFC-134a
Cleaning products for removal of grease, flux, and
							 other soils from electrical equipment;
Refrigerant flushes;
Products for sensitivity testing of smoke
							 detectors;
Lubricants and freeze sprays for electrical equipment
							 or electronics;
Sprays for aircraft maintenance;
Sprays containing corrosion preventive compounds used
							 in the maintenance of aircraft, electrical equipment or electronics, or
							 military equipment;
Pesticides for use near electrical wires, in
							 aircraft, in total release insecticide foggers, or in certified organic use
							 pesticides for which EPA has specifically disallowed all other lower-GWP
							 propellants;
Mold release agents and mold cleaners;
Lubricants and cleaners for spinnerettes for
							 synthetic fabrics;
Duster sprays specifically for removal of dust from
							 photographic negatives, semiconductor chips, specimens under electron
							 microscopes, and energized electrical equipment;
Adhesives and sealants in large canisters;
Document preservation sprays;
FDA-approved MDIs for medical purposes;
Wound care sprays;
Topical coolant sprays for pain relief;
Products for removing bandage adhesives from
							 skin;
Bear spray; and
Pepper spray.
Aerosol propellants
HFC-227ea and blends of HFC-227ea and HFC-134a
FDA-approved MDIs for medical purposes.
Air conditioning: Centrifugal chillers Positive
							 displacement chillers
HFC-134a
Military marine vessels where reasonable efforts have
							 been made to ascertain that other alternatives are not technically feasible due
							 to performance or safety requirements.
Air conditioning: Centrifugal chillers Positive
							 displacement chillers
HFC-134a and R-404A
Human-rated spacecraft and related support equipment
							 where reasonable efforts have been made to ascertain that other alternatives
							 are not technically feasible due to performance or safety
							 requirements.
Foams - Except rigid polyurethane spray foam
All substitutes
Military applications where reasonable efforts have
							 been made to ascertain that other alternatives are not technically feasible due
							 to performance or safety requirements until January 1, 2022; and Space- and
							 aeronautics-related applications where reasonable efforts have been made to
							 ascertain that other alternatives are not technically feasible due to
							 performance or safety requirements until January 1, 2025.
Rigid polyurethane two-component spray foam
All substitutes
Military or space- and aeronautics-related
							 applications where reasonable efforts have been made to ascertain that other
							 alternatives are not technically feasible due to performance or safety
							 requirements until January 1, 2025.
(2)
				Table 2 in this section lists exemptions for new or retrofit stationary
				refrigeration equipment prohibitions set forth in WAC
				173-443-040, Table 2.
TABLE 2. Exemptions For New or Retrofit Stationary
				  Refrigeration Equipment
End-Use
Prohibited
							 Substances
Exemptions
Commercial refrigeration:
Retail food refrigeration, including chillers (New or
							 retrofit)
Refrigerants with a GWP greater than
							 150
Equipment with 50 pounds or less of
							 refrigerant;
Replacement of a refrigeration component in an
							 existing facility as part of normal maintenance provided the result does not
							 meet the criteria of "new refrigeration equipment" as defined in WAC
							 173-443-030; Facilities with new
							 refrigeration equipment with an approved building permit issued before the
							 effective date of this chapter; and Mission-critical military end-uses, as
							 defined in WAC
							 173-443-030.
Commercial refrigeration:
Cold storage warehouses (New or retrofit)
Refrigerants with a GWP greater than
							 150
Equipment with 50 pounds or less of
							 refrigerant;
Replacement of a refrigeration component in an
							 existing facility as part of normal maintenance provided the result does not
							 meet the criteria of "new refrigeration equipment" as defined in WAC
							 173-443-030; Facilities with new
							 refrigeration equipment with an approved building permit issued before the
							 effective date of this chapter; and Mission-critical military end-uses, as
							 defined in WAC
							 173-443-030.
Industrial process refrigeration, excluding chillers
							 (New or retrofit)
Refrigerants with a GWP greater than
							 150
Equipment with 50 pounds or less of
							 refrigerant;
Replacement of a refrigeration component in an
							 existing facility as part of normal maintenance provided the result does not
							 meet the criteria of "new refrigeration equipment" as defined in WAC
							 173-443-030; Very low temperature
							 (VLT) refrigeration or cooling uses; Facilities with new refrigeration
							 equipment with an approved building permit issued before the effective date of
							 this chapter; and Mission-critical military end-uses, as defined in WAC
							 173-443-030.
Chillers used for industrial process refrigeration
							 (New or retrofit)
Refrigerants with a GWP greater than
							 750
Equipment with 50 pounds or less of
							 refrigerant;
Replacement of a refrigeration component in an
							 existing facility as part of normal maintenance provided the result does not
							 meet the criteria of "new refrigeration equipment" as defined in WAC
							 173-443-030; Very low temperature
							 (VLT) refrigeration or cooling uses; Facilities with new refrigeration
							 equipment with a building permit issued before the effective date of this
							 chapter; and Mission-critical military end-uses, as defined in WAC
							 173-443-030.
(3)
				Table 3 in this section lists exemptions for new or retrofit stationary air
				conditioning equipment prohibitions set forth in WAC
				173-443-040, Table 3.
TABLE 3. Exemptions for New or Retrofit Stationary Air
				  Conditioning Equipment
End-Use
Prohibited
							 Substances
Exemptions
Room air conditioners and residential dehumidifiers
							 (New or retrofit)
Refrigerants with a GWP greater than 750
Facilities with new air conditioning equipment with a
							 building permit issued before the effective date of this chapter; and
Mission-critical military end-uses, as defined in
							 WAC 173-443-030.
Variable refrigerant flow (VRF) or volume system (New
							 or retrofit)
Refrigerants with a GWP greater than 750
Facilities with new air conditioning equipment with a
							 building permit issued before the effective date of this chapter; and
Mission-critical military end-uses, as defined in
							 WAC 173-443-030.
Other types of air conditioning equipment used in
							 residential and nonresidential applications (New or retrofit)
Refrigerants with a GWP greater than 750
Facilities with new air conditioning equipment with a
							 building permit issued before the effective date of this chapter; and
Mission-critical military end-uses, as defined in
							 WAC 173-443-030.