WASHINGTON, D.C., April 24, 2015 – The SNAP change of listing status (de-listing) rule proposed in July 2014 was submitted by EPA to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on April 22 and received by OMB on April 24. This initiates an Executive Order 12866 review by OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which can last up to 90 days.
Category: Wholesale
EPA Adds New Refrigerants to SNAP
Venting approved for new refrigerants, except R-32
March 2, 2015, WASHINGTON – As part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is increasing the options for refrigerants used in various kinds of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment in the United States that offer better climate protection without harming the ozone layer. This final action addresses refrigerants under the Climate Action Plan that calls on EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program to identify and approve additional climate-friendly chemicals.
“Today’s rule is an example of how we can turn the challenge of climate change into an opportunity to innovate our way to a better future,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “By working together, businesses and EPA are bringing new, climate-friendly refrigerants to market that better protect our health and the environment.”
Under the authority of the Clean Air Act, EPA’s SNAP Program evaluates substitute chemicals and technologies that are safe for the ozone layer. This final rule expands the list of SNAP-approved substitutes to include more low-global warming potential (GWP) alternatives that can replace both the ozone-depleting substances and high-GWP hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The approved substitutes have GWPs that range from 3 to 675 and can replace older compounds with GWPs between 1400 to 4000.
After receiving input from industry, environmental groups, and others, EPA is approving additional low-GWP hydrocarbon refrigerants, subject to use conditions, in the following refrigeration and air conditioning applications:
* Ethane in very low temperature refrigeration and in non-mechanical heat transfer;
* Isobutane in retail food refrigeration (stand-alone commercial refrigerators and freezers) and in vending machines;
* Propane in household refrigerators, freezers, or combination refrigerators and freezers, in vending machines, and in room air conditioning units;
* The hydrocarbon blend R-441A in retail food refrigeration (stand-alone commercial refrigerators and freezers), in vending machines and in room air conditioning units; and
* HFC-32 (difluoromethane) in room air conditioning units. HFC-32 has one-third the GWP of the conventional refrigerants currently being used in room air conditioning units.
These refrigerants are already in use in many of these applications in Europe and Asia.
In addition to adding these climate-friendly alternatives, EPA is also exempting all of these substances, except HFC-32, from the Clean Air Act venting prohibition, as current evidence suggests that their venting, release, or disposal does not pose a threat to the environment.
Learn more about EPA’s SNAP Program and this rule:http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/
EPA Publishes New Venting Rules; Isobutane and Propane must be recovered from appliances
May 25, 2014- This is a summary of the EPA’s Revision of the Venting Prohibition for Specific Refrigerant Substitutes.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, the Agency) is amending the regulations promulgated as part of the National Recycling and Emission Reduction Program under section 608 of the Clean Air Act. EPA is amending those regulations to exempt certain refrigerant substitutes, listed as acceptable subject to use conditions in regulations promulgated as part of EPA’s Significant New Alternative Policy program under section 612 of the Act, from the prohibition under section 608 on venting, release or disposal on the basis of current evidence that their venting, release or disposal does not pose a threat to the environment. Specifically, EPA is exempting from the venting prohibition isobutane (R-600a) and R-441A, as refrigerant substitutes in household refrigerators, freezers, and combination refrigerators and freezers, and propane (R-290), as a refrigerant substitute in retail food refrigerators and freezers (stand-alone units only).Click Here for Final Rule
R134a Dumping Affirmed by ITA; Antidumping duty is likely.
May 22, 2014, Excerpts from FACT SHEET: Commerce Preliminarily Finds Dumping of Imports of (R134a) from the People’s Republic of China published by the International Trade Administration (ITA)-
The Department of Commerce announced its affirmative preliminary determination in the antidumping duty investigation of imports of HFC-R134a from China. For the purposes of this determination, dumping is said to occur when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than its fair value. As a result of the preliminary affirmative determination, Department of Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to require cash deposits based on preliminary rates.
The Commerce Department is expected to announce its final determination on October 3, 2014. Should an affirmative determination be made, The Commerce Department will issue an antidumping duty order and make “final injury determinations” in November 2014.Click Here for Fact Sheet distributed by the ITA