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The Phaseout of Ozone-Depleting Substances

What's New

(12/22/11) EPA signs proposed rule adjusting allowances for HCFCs

(8/5/11) EPA Finalizes Rule Allocating HCFC Allowances for 2011

(5/17/10): Frequently Asked Questions About Repairing or Replacing Your Home Air Conditioner

(2/25/10): Frequently Asked Questions Concerning the HCFC Phaseout

EPA regulations issued under Sections 601-607 of the Clean Air Act phase out the production and import of ozone-depleting substances (ODS), consistent with the schedules developed under the Montreal Protocol Exit EPA Disclaimer. The U.S. phaseout has operated by reducing in stages the amount of ODS that may be legally produced or imported into the U.S. The Parties to the Montreal Protocol have changed the phaseout schedule over time, through adjustments and amendments, and EPA has also accelerated the phaseout under its Clean Air Act authority. As the phasedown of virgin ODS continues, ODS uses will increasingly resort to reclaimed material or alternatives.

In the United States, ozone-depleting substances are regulated as Class I or Class II controlled substances. Class I substances have a higher ozone-depleting potential and have been completely phased out in the U.S., except for exemptions allowed under the Montreal Protocol. Class II substances are hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which are transitional substitutes for many Class I substances and are being phased out now.

 

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