Stationary Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning

Technician Certification

Steps For Replacing a Lost Card (Section 608)

Regulations have been issued under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act to minimize refrigerant emissions by maximizing the recovery and recycling of such substances during the service, repair, or disposal of refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment (i.e., appliances).

Note: The handling and recycling of refrigerants used in motor vehicle air-conditioning systems are governed under Section 609 of the Clean Air Act.) This page provides fact sheets describing Section 608 and recent regulations related to Section 608.

Fact Sheets

Regulations and Federal Register Notices

Recycling of Substitute Refrigerants

Proposed Rule Recycling of Refrigerant Substitutes (June 11, 1998; 63 FR 32044). This rule proposed to amend the rule on refrigerant recycling to clarify how the Section 608 requirements might extend to hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and perfluorocarbon (PFC) substitutes for ozone-depleting, chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), refrigerants. This rule also proposed to exempt certain substitute refrigerants from the Clean Air Act refrigerant venting prohibition on the basis of evidence that their release does not pose a threat to the environment.

Final Rule on Venting and Sales of Refrigerant Substitutes (March 12, 2004; 69 FR 11946). This rule sustains the Clean Air Act prohibition against venting hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and perfluorocarbon (PFC) refrigerants. The knowing venting of HFC and PFC refrigerants during the maintenance, service, repair, and disposal of air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment (i.e., appliances) remains illegal under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act. The rule also restricts the sale of HFC refrigerants that consist of an ODS to EPA-certified technicians. However, HFC refrigerants and HFC refrigerant blends that do not consist of an ODS are not covered under “The Refrigerant Sales Restriction.”

Final Rule on Leak Repair Requirements for Appliances Using Refrigerant Substitutes (January 11, 2005; 70 FR 1972). This rule extends the leak repair required practices and the associated reporting and recordkeeping requirements to owners and/or operators of comfort cooling, commercial refrigeration, or industrial process refrigeration appliances containing more than 50 pounds of a substitute refrigerant, if the substitute contains a class I or class II ODS. In addition, EPA has defined leak rate in terms of the percentage of the appliance's full charge that would be lost over a consecutive 12-month period, if the current rate of loss were to continue over that period. EPA now requires calculation of the leak rate every time that refrigerant is added to an appliance.

Direct Final and Concurrent Proposed Rule Amending the Definition of Refrigerant (April 13, 2005; 70 FR 19371). This rule amends the definition of refrigerant to make certain that it only includes substitutes that consist of a class I or class II ODS. This rulemaking also amends the venting prohibition to make certain that it remains illegal to knowingly vent nonexempt substitutes that do not consist of a class I or class II ODS, such as R-134a and R-410A.

Revocation of Approval as an EPA-Certified Reclaimer

Notice (May 20, 2004; 69 FR 29076)

Notice (September 27, 2002; 67 FR 61088)

Notice (December 5, 2000; 65 FR 75932)

Notice (September 18, 1998; 63 FR 49910)

Notice (January 13, 1998; 63 FR 1927)

Notice (May 23, 1997; 62 FR 28466)

Revocation of Approval for Certain Technician Certification Programs

Notice (September 27, 2000; 65 FR 58069)

Notice (July 19, 1996; 61 FR 37741)

Changes to Refrigerant Recycling Standard (modified Industrial Recycling Guide-2)

Correction to Final Rule (September 18, 2003; 68 FR 54677)

Final Rule (July 24, 2003; 68 FR 43786)

Proposed Rule (February 29, 1996; 61 FR 7857)

Direct Final Rule to Temporarily Extend Current Requirements (February 29, 1996; 61 FR 7724)

Industrial Process Refrigeration Leak Repair Amendment

Compliance Guidance For Industrial Process Refrigeration Leak Repair Regulations

Final Rule (August 8, 1995; 60 FR 40420)

Proposed Rule (January 19, 1995; 60 FR 3992)

Technician Certification Amendment

Final Rule (November 9, 1994; 59 FR 55912)

Proposed Rule (August 15, 1994; 59 FR 41968)

Technical Amendments

Direct Final Rule (August 19, 1994; 59 FR 42950)

Recycling of Ozone-Depleting Refrigerants

Final Rule Summary

Final Rule (May 14, 1993; 58 FR 28660)

Proposed Rule (December 12, 1992; 57 FR 58644)