California first U.S. State to regulate chemical refrigerant emissions
[ added 10 December, 2009 ]
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California has adopted the first regulation in the U.S. to reduce refrigerant gas emissions from commercial and industrial refrigeration systems using synthetic refrigerants.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted on Wednesday a new rule aiming to reduce refrigerant gas emissions from large facilities such as supermarket and grocery stores, food and beverage processors, cold storage warehouses and industrial process cooling plants using more than 50 pounds of CFC, HCFCs or HFC refrigerant.The regulation will not apply to systems using natural refrigerants ammonia and CO2.
The rule is estimated to lead to emission reductions of 8.1 million metric tons CO2e in 2020, equivalent to removing about 1.4 million cars from the road for a year. Moreover, CARB expects that the leak detection, monitoring and repair requirements will reduce the need to buy costly refrigerant to refill systems, thus leading to average savings of about two dollars per metric ton CO2e reduced.
"This common-sense measure will clamp down and reduce the largest source of highly potent greenhouse gases," said CARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. "The rule creates a level playing field by requiring that all businesses use best management practices to monitor and repair refrigerant leaks."
BeyondHFCs hails this initiative coming from a visionary state and its administration because they recognise the importance of tapping refrigerant gas emissions from stationary refrigeration sources.
You can view the original press release by clicking here.
