[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 160 (Friday, August 19, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-20169]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 19, 1994]


_______________________________________________________________________

Part IV





Environmental Protection Agency





_______________________________________________________________________



40 CFR Part 82



Protection of Stratospheric Ozone; Regrigerant Recycling; Final Rule
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Part 82

[FRL-5051-2]

 

Protection of Stratospheric Ozone; Refrigerant Recycling

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Direct final rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: Through this action EPA is amending the Refrigerant Recycling 
Regulations. This action is being undertaken by EPA to amend specific 
portions of the published text, including the definitions, required 
practices, and the reporting and recordkeeping requirements; to adopt 
recently amended industry standards; and to clarify the meaning and 
applicability of various terms. This action will affect the sellers of 
refrigerant, aid the affected community, and may provide relief to 
certain segments of the affected community.

DATES: This final action will become effective on October 18, 1994 
unless EPA is notified by September 19, 1994 that any person wishes to 
submit adverse comment. Should EPA receive such notice, EPA will 
publish one subsequent action in the Federal Register to withdraw this 
final action and another action proposing this action and requesting 
comments. In such a case, following a public comment period, the Agency 
will draft the final regulation to be published in the Federal 
Register. The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed 
in the regulations is approved by the Director of the Federal Register 
as of October 18, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments and materials supporting this rulemaking are 
contained in Public Docket No. A-92-01, Waterside Mall (Ground Floor) 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20460 in room M-1500. Dockets may be inspected from 8 a.m. until 4 
p.m., Monday through Friday. A reasonable fee may be charged for 
copying docket materials. Those wishing to notify EPA of their intent 
to submit adverse comments on this action should contact Cynthia 
Newberg, Program Implementation Branch, Stratospheric Protection 
Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs, Office of Air and Radiation 
(6205-J), 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460 Docket # A-92-01 VIII 
B. (202) 233-9729.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Section 608 Recycling Program Manager, 
Program Implementation Branch, Stratospheric Protection Division, 
Office of Atmospheric Programs, Office of Air and Radiation (6205-J), 
401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460. The Stratospheric Ozone 
Information Hotline at 1-800-296-1996 can also be contacted for further 
information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The contents of this preamble are listed in 
the following outline:

I. Refrigerant Recycling Regulations
II. Revisions to the Refrigerant Recycling Regulations
    A. Definitions
    1. Technician
    2. Adoption of Standard Based on ARI 700-1993 in Definition of 
``Reclaim''
    B. Prohibitions
    1. Sale of Used Appliances Without Service Apertures
    2. Exceptions to Prohibition on Sale of Unreclaimed Refrigerant
    C. Required Practices
    1. Exception for Leaky Appliances to Evacuation Requirements at 
Disposal
    2. Use of Nitrogen to Pressurize-113 Appliances for Non-major 
Repairs
    3. Requirements for Recovery Using New Recovery Technologies
    4. Availability of Certified Recycling and Recovery Equipment to 
Persons Disposing of MVACs and MVAC-like Appliances
    5. Exemption for Pump-out Units from 15-pound Limit for System-
Dependent Equipment
    6. Applicability Solely to Equipment Containing More Than 50 
Pounds of Refrigerant of Leak Repair and Associated Recordkeeping 
Requirements
    D. Equipment Certification
    1. Measurement of Recovery Rates
    E. Technician Certification
    F. Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements
    1. Sales Restriction--Effective Date for Recordkeeping
    2. Proof of Employment of Certified Personnel
    G. Appendix A
    H. Appendix B
    I. Appendix D
    J. Removal of Parenthetical Statements
III. Effective Dates
IV. Summary of Supporting Analysis
    A. Executive Order 12866
    B. Regulatory Flexibility Act
    C. Paperwork Reduction Act
V. Judicial Review

I. Refrigerant Recycling Regulations

    Final regulations published on May 14, 1993 (58 FR 28660) establish 
a recycling program for ozone-depleting refrigerants recovered during 
the servicing and disposal of air-conditioning and refrigeration 
equipment. Together with the prohibition on venting during the 
maintenance, service, repair, and disposal of class I and class II 
substances (see the listing notice January 22, 1991; 56 FR 2420) that 
took effect on July 1, 1992, these regulations should substantially 
reduce the emissions of ozone-depleting refrigerants. The regulations 
require that persons servicing air-conditioning and refrigeration 
equipment observe certain service practices that reduce emissions, and 
establish equipment and reclamation certification requirements, as well 
as a technician certification requirement. A sales restriction on the 
sale of refrigerant was also established by the final regulations. As 
of November 14, 1994, only certified technicians will legally be 
authorized to purchase refrigerant.\1\ In addition, the final 
regulations established a leak repair requirement for equipment that 
normally holds a refrigerant charge of fifty pounds or more. Finally, 
the regulations require that ozone-depleting compounds contained in 
appliances be removed prior to disposal of the appliances, and that all 
air- conditioning and refrigeration equipment, except for small 
appliances, be provided with a servicing aperture that will facilitate 
recovery of refrigerant.
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    \1\It should be noted that EPA has recently proposed to extend 
this date for technicians that have been trained, tested, and 
approved by an organization requesting to be grandfathered under 
Sec. 82.161(g). (See Federal Register published 8/15/94).
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II. Revisions to the Refrigerant Recycling Regulations

    Through this action EPA is promulgating several minor changes to 
the final rule. Below is a description of each change to the regulatory 
text that appeared in the Federal Register on May 14, 1993.

A. Definitions

1. Technician
    Section 82.152(x) defines a ``technician'' for purposes of the 
refrigerant recycling rule. A technician is a person who provides 
maintenance, service or repair that could reasonably be expected to 
release ozone-depleting substances through those actions. Section 
82.152(x) includes in the definition of ``technician'' a person who 
disposes of appliances, but does not include any person disposing of 
small appliances. In excluding such persons, EPA considered the nature 
of work associated with recovering refrigerants from small appliances 
prior to disposal, the affected workforce, and any environmental damage 
that could result from emissions during disposal.
    In drafting the final rule, EPA left out motor vehicle air 
conditioners (MVAC)\2\ and MVAC-like equipment\3\ in exempting 
certification of technicians disposing of certain types of equipment. 
Disposal of MVACs and MVAC-like appliances is similar in many ways to 
the disposal of small appliances. EPA distinguishes between large 
equipment that is dismantled on-site and portable equipment that may 
enter the waste stream with its refrigerant charge still intact because 
of the differences between the two types of equipment once they reach 
the end of their useful lives. Large equipment dismantled on-site must 
have refrigerant removed as part of the dismantling process because 
there is no other option that will result in successful recovery of 
refrigerant. This large equipment cannot enter the waste stream with 
the charge intact, while more portable small appliances, MVACs, and 
MVAC-like equipment frequently does enter the waste stream with the 
charge intact.
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    \2\Regulations concerning MVAC appliances were promulgated under 
section 609 and published in the Federal Register on July 14, 1992 
(57 FR 31241).
    \3\MVAC-like equipment is defined in Sec. 82.152(1) as the 
mechanical vapor compression, open-drive compressor appliances used 
to cool the driver's or passenger's compartment of a non-road motor 
vehicle. This includes the air-conditioning equipment on 
agricultural or construction vehicles. This definition is not 
intended to cover appliances using HCFC-22 refrigerant.
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    In regulations promulgated under section 608, EPA discussed the 
differences between the disposal sector and the servicing sector. (See 
58 FR 28705.) EPA noted that unlike the servicing sector, the disposal 
sector does not reintroduce refrigerant to equipment, after removal. 
Refrigerant is merely being removed, usually after the appliances have 
been removed from operation. This removal may occur at any stage either 
before it enters the waste stream or once in the waste stream.
    Since the types of recover-only processes used with small 
appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like equipment tend to be relatively 
straight-forward and a simpler task than recycling or the recovery of 
refrigerant from larger types of appliances, EPA did not require the 
certification of technicians disposing of small appliances. Since the 
circumstances for disposing of small appliances is quite similar to the 
circumstances for disposing of MVACs and MVAC-like equipment, EPA 
believes it is appropriate to revise the definition of ``technician'' 
to exclude any person disposing of MVAC and MVAC-like equipment. The 
revised definition will consequently read as follows: ``Technician 
means any person who performs maintenance, service, or repair that 
could reasonably be expected to release class I or class II substances 
from appliances into the atmosphere, including but not limited to 
installers, contractor employees, in-house service personnel, and in 
some cases, owners. Technician also means any person disposing of 
appliances except for small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like 
equipment.''
2. Adoption of Standard Based on ARI 700-1993 in Definition of 
``Reclaim''
    Section 82.152(q) defines ``reclaim'' to mean ``to reprocess 
refrigerant to at least the standard of purity specified in the ARI 
Standard 700-1988, Specifications for Fluorocarbon Refrigerants.'' A 
standard based closely on ARI 700-1988 is included in the rule as 
Appendix A. During the comment period on the proposed Sec. 608 
refrigerant recycling rule, the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration 
Institute had requested that EPA adopt a standard based on ARI 700-
1993, which is an updated version of ARI 700-1988. ARI described the 
differences between ARI 700-1988 and ARI 700-1993 during the public 
hearing and submitted a draft version of the updated standard, which 
was included in the public docket for the rule.
    The updated standard included changes in three areas:
    1. ARI 700-1993 included purity standards for eleven additional 
refrigerants: R-23, R-32, R-123, R-124, R-125, R-134a, R-143a, R-
401(A), R-401(B), R-402(A), and R-402(B).
    2. Liquid phase contaminant water levels were increased from 10ppm 
in ARI 700-1988 to 20ppm in ARI 700-1993 for R-11 and R-113 only.
    3. Where ARI 700-1988 allowed 0.5 as the maximum percentage by 
weight of ``other refrigerants,'' ARI 700-1993 allows 0.50 as the 
maximum percentage by weight of ``all other organic impurities, 
including other refrigerants.'' The inclusion of organic impurities 
other than refrigerants in the limit effectively tightens the standard, 
and at the same time, the change from 0.5 to 0.50 reduces the tolerance 
of the standard by a factor of ten. (Thus, while a sample containing 
0.54 percent other refrigerants would have met the old standard, only a 
sample containing 0.504 percent (or less) other organic impurities 
would meet the new standard.)
    Although all the comments received by EPA regarding adoption of the 
updated standard were favorable, the standard was not included in the 
final rule because it was not finalized by the time the final rule was 
published. (See 58 FR 28679 for a discussion of this issue in the final 
rule.) An appendix to the standard specifying procedures for analyzing 
refrigerant was undergoing a lengthy process of peer review, which is 
now complete. Because the final standard is substantially identical to 
the draft that was included in the docket for comment, and because EPA 
agrees with commenters that the changes to the standard are appropriate 
and necessary, EPA is changing the definition of ``reclaim'' to refer 
to ARI 700-1993, and is replacing the standard based on ARI 700-1988 
with a standard based on ARI 700-1993 as appendix A. EPA is also 
replacing references to ARI 700-1988 with references to ARI 700-1993 in 
its reclaimer certification program.
    Because section 608 of the Act does not give EPA the authority to 
regulate refrigerants that do not contain class I or class II 
substances until November, 1995, EPA is not adopting the purity 
standards of ARI 700-1993 that apply to refrigerants that do not 
contain CFCs or HCFCs. Thus, EPA is not adopting purity requirements 
for HFC-23, HFC-32, HFC-125, HFC-134a, or HFC-143a at this time. (ARI 
and other standard-setting organizations remain free, of course, to 
adopt and observe purity requirements for these refrigerants.) However, 
the purity requirements for CFC and HCFC refrigerants (including blends 
that contain either CFCs or HCFCs along with non-ozone-depleting 
components) in appendix A are identical to the purity requirements for 
CFC and HCFC refrigerants in ARI 700-1993.
    EPA would like to clarify that since it is not possible to return a 
refrigerant to a standard of purity if no standard of purity is 
specified for that refrigerant, refrigerants that are not covered by 
appendix A need not be reclaimed under this regulation.

B. Prohibitions

1. Sale of Used Appliances Without Service Apertures
    Section 82.154(j) and Sec. 82.154(k) are prohibitions against the 
sale and distribution, or offer for sale and distribution of any 
appliance, unless such equipment is equipped with either a service 
aperture or, for small appliances, with a process stub, to facilitate 
the removal of refrigerant. EPA would like to clarify that for the 
purposes of these prohibitions, EPA will interpret sale, distribution, 
or offer of sale or distribution as not referring to the sale of used 
products. Sale of used products means a sale or distribution by a 
person after a period of use other than demonstration use. The Agency 
recognizes that there is a market for the sale of used air conditioners 
and refrigerators. Restricting the resale of such used durable goods 
before the end of their productive lifetimes would provide little, if 
any, environmental benefit. Indeed, the introduction of a service 
aperture may lead to unintentional releases by weakening the 
refrigeration circuit. Because requiring these goods to be retrofitted 
prior to resale would impose significant economic hardship on a great 
many consumers without providing significant environmental benefits, 
EPA does not believe it is necessary to ban their resale. Consequently, 
while EPA's interpretation of sale and distribution or offer for sale 
and distribution is such that the entire chain of sale and distribution 
from the manufacturer of a new product to its ultimate consumer is 
included, the Agency recognizes that in the case of durable consumer 
goods, resale of the product to additional consumers may occur after 
the original sale or distribution of the new product to the ultimate 
consumer after some period of use by the original ultimate consumer. In 
such cases, EPA will not prohibit the sale of these used products.
2. Exceptions to Prohibition on Sale of Unreclaimed Refrigerant
    Prohibitions Secs. 82.154(g) and 82.154(h) currently prohibit the 
sale of used refrigerant that has not been reclaimed by a certified 
reclaimer. EPA intended to exclude two classes of used refrigerant from 
this prohibition: refrigerant that was and is to be used only in an 
MVAC or MVAC-like appliance, and refrigerant that is contained in an 
appliance that is sold or offered for sale together with the 
refrigerant. The section 609 refrigerant recycling rule, which covers 
MVACs, explicitly recognizes and permits the transfer of refrigerant 
between MVACs owned by different persons if that refrigerant is: (1) 
Recovered from an MVAC and returned to an MVAC by a single service 
entity; and (2) recycled to meet the SAE J1991 standard.\4\ (This 
provision of the section 609 rule, which is contained in the definition 
of ``properly using'' recycling and recovery equipment, also covers 
MVAC-like appliances pursuant to Sec. 82.156(a)(5).) Because this 
standard is not as stringent as the standard that reclaimed refrigerant 
must meet in the section 608 refrigerant recycling rule, refrigerant 
that only meets this standard cannot be considered reclaimed. Thus, 
such refrigerant cannot be sold under the section 608 rule. However, 
EPA did not intend to reverse the position that it took in the section 
609 rule regarding the transfer of refrigerant between MVACs owned by 
different people. For instance, one of the primary arguments made in 
support of the reclamation requirement in the section 608 rule, that no 
less stringent recycling standard currently exists (58 FR 28679), 
clearly does not apply to MVACs and MVAC-like appliances, which are 
governed by the less stringent SAE J1991 standard. EPA is therefore 
amending the prohibitions to exclude the sale of refrigerant 
transferred between MVACs or MVAC-like appliances.
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    \4\The preamble to the section 609 rule states, ``service 
establishments owned by a single owner may recover refrigerant and 
send the refrigerant to a central location for recycling to the SAE 
J1991 standard for CFC-12'' (57 FR 31246).
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    Another primary argument made in support of the reclamation 
requirement, that transfer of refrigerant between different owners can 
contaminate appliances, clearly does not apply to refrigerant that 
changes ownership solely because it is contained in an appliance that 
changes ownership. If refrigerant remains within a single appliance, it 
obviously cannot introduce contaminants into another appliance. Thus, 
EPA is also amending the prohibition to exclude the sale of refrigerant 
that is contained in an appliance that is sold or offered for sale 
together with the refrigerant.

C. Required Practices

1. Exception for Leaky Appliances to Evacuation Requirements at 
Disposal
    Section 82.156(a)(2)(ii) establishes an exception to the evacuation 
requirements for appliances undergoing maintenance, service, or repair. 
The paragraph reads:
    If, due to leaks in the appliance, evacuation to the levels in 
Table 1 is not attainable, or would substantially contaminate the 
refrigerant being recovered, persons opening the appliance must:
    (A) Isolate leaking from non-leaking components wherever possible;
    (B) Evacuate non-leaking components to be opened to the levels 
specified in Table 1; and
    (C) Evacuate leaking components to be opened to the lowest level 
that can be attained without substantially contaminating the 
refrigerant. In no case shall this level exceed 0 psig.
    Through an accidental omission, the requirements in 
Sec. 82.156(a)(3) for evacuating appliances at disposal contain no 
exception for leaky appliances, although the rationale for such an 
exception at disposal is identical to the rationale for the exception 
at maintenance, service, or repair. That is, leaks in the appliance may 
permit air to enter the appliance as the internal pressure of the 
appliance is lowered, contaminating the refrigerant being recovered and 
making it impossible to attain the required vacuum. EPA is therefore 
adding an exception for leaky appliances to the evacuation requirements 
at disposal. This exception is identical to that at maintenance, 
service, and repair.
2. Use of Nitrogen to Pressurize -113 Appliances for Non-Major Repairs
    Section 82.156(a)(2)(B) prohibits the use of nitrogen to pressurize 
low-pressure appliances for non-major repairs. In including this 
prohibition in the rule, EPA intended to encourage the use of 
pressurization methods that do not require subsequent purging, such as 
heating of the evaporator and/or condenser. However, while heat can be 
safely used to pressurize appliances utilizing CFC-11 and HCFC-123 to 
atmospheric pressure, heat alone is not a practical or safe method for 
pressurizing appliances utilizing CFC-113 because the temperatures 
required to raise the pressure of CFC-113 to atmospheric pressure are 
quite high (117.6  deg.F for CFC-113 vs. 74.7  deg.F for CFC-11). Thus, 
for refrigerants with boiling points above 85  deg.F, EPA is now 
requiring that heat be used to raise the internal pressure of the 
appliance as much as possible, but is permitting nitrogen to be 
introduced to meet the remaining pressure requirements.
    Contrary to popular perception, EPA has never prohibited the use of 
nitrogen to pressurize systems for purposes of a leak check (because 
leak checking does not involve ``opening'' of the appliance), although 
the Agency encourages the use of heat, rather than nitrogen, to 
pressurize systems whenever possible. Thus, it has been and remains 
acceptable to introduce nitrogen into an appliance utilizing CFC-113 
for purposes of a leak check. EPA recommends that heat be the primary 
method used to raise the internal pressure of appliances containing 
CFC-113 as much as possible for checking leaks, and that nitrogen be 
introduced to meet the remaining pressure requirements.
3. Requirements for Recovery Using New Recovery Technologies
    In Sec. 82.158(b)(2), EPA provided for the certification of 
recycling and recovery equipment whose recovery efficiency cannot be 
tested according to the procedures in ARI 740-1993, which measure 
levels of evacuation. The rule states that this new equipment may be 
certified if an approved third-party testing organization adopts and 
performs a test that demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the 
Administrator, that the recovery efficiency of the new equipment is 
equal to or better than that of equipment that: (i) Is intended for use 
with the same type of appliance; and (ii) achieves the level of 
evacuation in Table 2 of the rule. As discussed in the preamble to the 
final rule (58 FR 28689), EPA's goal in including this provision was to 
avoid unnecessary delay in the certification, marketing, and use of new 
recovery technologies that do not operate by drawing vacuums.
    However, EPA inadvertently neglected to include a provision in the 
required practices section (82.156) that would permit the use of 
recovery technologies that do not operate by drawing vacuums. EPA is 
therefore adding a provision, Sec. 82.156(a)(2)(iii), that permits the 
use of equipment certified pursuant to Sec. 82.158(b)(2), as long as 
users of this equipment follow the manufacturer's directions for 
achieving the required recovery efficiencies. EPA will make the 
development of and compliance with such directions part of the process 
for certifying new recovery technologies under Sec. 82.158(b)(2).
4. Availability of Certified Recycling and Recovery Equipment to 
Persons Disposing of MVACs and MVAC-Like Appliances
    Section 82.156(b) currently requires that: All persons opening 
appliances except for small appliances and MVACs for maintenance, 
service, or repair and all persons disposing of appliances except for 
small appliances must have at least one piece of certified, self-
contained recovery equipment available at their place of business.
    EPA inadvertently omitted three items from this paragraph. First, 
certified, self-contained recycling equipment should have been listed 
along with certified, self-contained recovery equipment as equipment 
that would meet this requirement. In all other sections of the rule, 
recycling and recovery equipment are treated identically, and EPA did 
not intend to treat them differently here. Therefore, EPA is inserting 
``or recycling'' between ``recovery'' and ``equipment'' in 
Sec. 82.156(b).
    Second, persons disposing of MVACs and MVAC-like appliances should 
have been excluded along with persons disposing of small appliances 
from the requirement to have one piece of certified, self-contained 
recovery or recycling equipment available at their place of business. 
EPA clearly intended to exclude these persons from this requirement 
because it excludes recovery and recycling equipment used to dispose 
MVACs and MVAC-like equipment from third-party certification 
requirements. (See the final rule preamble at 58 FR 28705, 
Secs. 82.158(a) and 82.158(l).) Therefore, EPA is inserting ``MVACs, or 
MVAC-like appliances'' after ``all persons disposing of appliances 
except for small appliances,'' excluding all three groups from the 
requirement to have certified recovery or recycling equipment available 
at their place of business.
    Third, EPA intended to exempt persons who own appliances containing 
pump-out units and who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of only 
these appliances from the above requirement. The requirement was 
intended to ensure that persons who used small, portable system-
dependent recovery equipment to service appliances also had self-
contained equipment available in the event the appliance compressor was 
not operational. In general, such small, self-contained recovery 
equipment is not prohibitively expensive, particularly if it is to be 
used for a large number of jobs. However, the requirement may also 
affect owners of chillers, which are frequently equipped with built-in 
pump-out units that are used for the recovery of large quantities of 
refrigerant. Because system compressors may be used to move the 
refrigerant into the pump-out unit in some cases, these units may be 
considered ``system-dependent'' in those cases.\5\ While small self-
contained recovery devices are relatively inexpensive, larger self-
contained recovery devices may be prohibitively costly for persons who 
own and service a limited number of chillers. Moreover, instead of 
purchasing large recovery devices, owners of chillers may contract out 
the recovery procedure if the built-in unit is not capable of meeting 
the applicable evacuation requirements. EPA did not intend to require 
such owners to purchase expensive equipment when this less costly 
remedy exists. Thus, EPA is adding a sentence to make this exemption 
explicit. However, persons exempted from Sec. 82.156(b) are still 
required to meet the other applicable requirements of Sec. 82.156 
(e.g., evacuation requirements).
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    \5\EPA understands that in general, pump-out units on chillers 
are equipped with their own pumps or compressors, which are not used 
during the operation of the appliance. Pump-out units equipped with 
their own compressors would not be considered system-dependent 
recovery equipment. On the other hand, system receivers, which are 
not equipped with their own compressors, would not be considered 
recovery equipment at all because they are an integral part of the 
appliance.
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5. Exemption for Pump-out Units From 15-pound Limit for System-
Dependent Equipment
    Section 82.156(c) prohibits the use of system-dependent equipment 
with appliances normally containing more than 15 pounds of refrigerant. 
This prohibition was intended to cover small, portable system-dependent 
equipment, which is not designed for the recovery of large quantities 
of refrigerant. As noted above, however, some large chillers are 
equipped with built-in pump-out units that could also be considered 
``system-dependent equipment,'' but that are designed to be used for 
the recovery of large quantities of refrigerant. EPA did not intend to 
prohibit the use of such pump-out units for recovery. Thus, EPA is 
revising Sec. 82.156(c) to read ``System-dependent equipment shall not 
be used with appliances normally containing more than 15 pounds of 
refrigerant, unless the system-dependent equipment is permanently 
attached to the appliance as a pump-out unit.''
6. Applicability Solely to Equipment Containing More Than 50 Pounds of 
Refrigerant of Leak Repair and Associated Recordkeeping Requirements
    Section 82.156(i), the leak repair requirement, contains two 
subparagraphs that apply to owners of different types of equipment. The 
first subparagraph, Sec. 82.156(i)(1), applies to ``owners of 
commercial refrigeration and industrial process refrigeration,'' 
specifying no lower size limit for covered equipment. The second 
subparagraph, Sec. 82.156(i)(2), applies to ``owners of appliances 
normally containing more than 50 pounds of refrigerant and not covered 
by paragraph (i)(1).'' EPA has received numerous inquiries regarding 
whether or not it intended to include a lower size limit in the first 
subparagraph.
    Although EPA did not explicitly restrict the scope of its leak 
repair requirement for commercial and industrial process refrigeration 
to equipment containing more than 50 pounds of refrigerant, EPA 
intended this requirement to cover only equipment containing at least 
50 pounds. The definition of commercial refrigeration includes a note 
that ``[a]ll of the equipment contains large refrigerant charges, 
typically over 75 pounds,'' and the discussion of industrial process 
refrigeration that appears in the preamble to the rule includes a note 
that ``charge sizes can be very large, ranging from 750-3000 lbs for 
ice rinks, and rising as high as 20,000 lbs for built-up centrifugal 
units.'' (No other charge sizes are mentioned.) The preamble also 
notes:
    The 50-pound cut-off is intended to exempt smaller equipment where 
the cost of repairing the leak is an order of magnitude higher than the 
environmental benefit of repairing the leak (RIA). The 50-pound cut-off 
is also consistent with guidance found in the ASHRAE Guideline 3-1990 
(58 FR 28680).
    This rationale applies to commercial and industrial process 
refrigeration as well as to other large appliances.
    In order to clarify that only commercial and industrial process 
refrigeration equipment containing more than 50 pounds is covered by 
the leak repair requirements, EPA is now specifying this limit in 
Sec. 82.156(i)(1).

D. Equipment Certification

1. Measurement of Recovery Rates
    Section 82.158(b)(6) requires manufacturers of recycling and 
recovery equipment to have an approved equipment testing organization 
measure the liquid and vapor recovery rates of equipment as part of the 
equipment certification process. EPA required measurement and 
publication of these recovery rates in order to ensure that technicians 
would not inadvertently purchase equipment whose recovery rates were 
too low for the intended application; the Agency was concerned that a 
technician purchasing underpowered equipment would be tempted to 
interrupt the resulting lengthy recovery process before it was 
complete.
    However, some types of equipment do not have inherent liquid and 
vapor recovery rates. For instance, the recovery rate of system-
dependent equipment depends upon the compressor of the individual 
appliance from which it is recovering refrigerant. EPA intended to 
exempt this equipment from the requirement to have its liquid and vapor 
recovery rate measured. First, system-dependent equipment certified 
pursuant to Sec. 82.158(b) typically has a higher recovery rate than 
self-contained equipment, because appliance compressors are usually 
larger and therefore faster than recovery equipment compressors. 
Second, the use of system- dependent equipment is limited to appliances 
normally containing less than 15 pounds of refrigerant. Thus, low 
recovery rates are not a concern for such equipment. EPA is therefore 
amending Section 82.158(b)(6) of the rule to clarify that equipment 
with no inherent liquid or vapor recovery rates need not have these 
rates measured.

E. Technician Certification\6\
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    \6\Additional revisions to Sec. 82.161 have been proposed by 
EPA. (See Federal Register published 8-15-94) These proposed changes 
will more clearly delineate who is required to be certified.
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    Section 82.161(a) requires that technicians be certified. EPA 
exempted from this requirement technicians that are disposing of small 
appliances, room air conditioners, and MVACs because these technicians 
are only recovering the refrigerant prior to the disposal of this 
equipment. As discussed earlier, persons disposing of this equipment 
were exempt from the requirement because the nature of this work is 
straight-forward. As outlined above, EPA is extending this exemption to 
MVAC-like appliances. Throughout the rule, EPA states that since MVAC 
appliances and MVAC-like appliances are similar in nature and design, 
it is appropriate for these technicians to be treated in a similar 
fashion. In Sec. 82.161(a)(5), EPA provides a method for those 
servicing MVAC-like appliances to be certified by attending a program 
designed and approved under section 609 for training and certifying 
MVAC technicians. Therefore, to maintain consistency as discussed in 
Section A of this rulemaking, EPA will extend the exemption from the 
certification requirement to technicians that are disposing of MVAC-
like appliances. In addition, since ``room air conditioners'' are 
considered a type of small appliance, and small appliances are already 
excepted from the certification requirement, EPA will delete ``room air 
conditioners'' from the list of exceptions.

F. Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements

1. Sales Restriction--Effective Date for Recordkeeping
    Section 82.166(a) establishes a recordkeeping requirement for all 
persons who sell or distribute any class I or class II substance for 
use as a refrigerant. Since no effective date was specified for this 
particular requirement, this provision became effective June 14, 1993, 
the effective date of the Refrigerant Recycling Regulations. However, 
the restriction on selling or distributing of ozone-depleting 
refrigerants is not effective until November 14, 1994, pursuant to 
Sec. 82.154(n). EPA does not believe it is necessary to maintain 
records regarding the sale and distribution of refrigerant in advance 
of the effective date of the actual sales or distribution restriction. 
Furthermore, such a requirement places an unnecessary burden on 
industry. Without the existence of a sales restriction, the usefulness 
of such records is dubious. Therefore, through this action EPA will 
change the effective date for maintaining records regarding sales and 
distribution of refrigerants from June 14, 1993 to November 14, 1994.
2. Proof of Employment of Certified Personnel
    Section 82.166(b) allows the purchasers of any class I or class II 
refrigerants who employ certified technicians to provide evidence of 
each technician's certification to the wholesaler who sells them 
refrigerant. The wholesaler will keep this information on file. The 
purchaser is further required to notify the wholesaler regarding any 
changes in a technician's certification or employment status. Concerns 
have recently been brought to EPA's attention about the practicability 
of implementing this provision. Large organizations often employ large 
numbers of certified technicians that may be situated at various 
locations around the country. Tracking and notifying wholesalers of 
employee status may result in an overwhelming responsibility. EPA did 
not intend this requirement to place any undue burden on the employers 
of large numbers of technicians. In fact, EPA believed that allowing 
employers to purchase refrigerant for their technicians, instead of 
requiring the technician to be physically present at the point of sale, 
would actually decrease the burden for the technician, the wholesaler, 
and the technician's employer.
    Therefore, EPA is modifying this requirement to read: Purchasers of 
any class I or class II refrigerants who employ certified technicians 
may provide evidence that at least one technician is properly certified 
to the wholesaler who sells them refrigerant; the wholesaler will then 
keep this information on file and may sell refrigerant to the purchaser 
or his authorized representative even if such purchaser or authorized 
representative is not a properly certified technician. In such cases, 
the purchaser must notify the wholesaler in the event that the 
purchaser no longer employs at least one properly certified technician. 
The wholesaler is then prohibited from selling class I or class II 
refrigerants to the purchaser until such time as the purchaser employs 
at least one properly certified technician. At that time, the purchaser 
must provide new evidence that at least one technician is properly 
certified.
    EPA believes that this requirement will still have the intended 
effect of lessening the likelihood that refrigerant is sold for use by 
non-certified personnel, while providing a more reasonable means for 
purchasers to comply with the sales restriction.

G. Appendix A

    EPA adopted an industry standard in the final rule based on the 
Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) Standard 700-1988. 
This standard appeared as Appendix A to Subpart F--Specification for 
Fluorocarbon Refrigerants. EPA was aware of efforts to revise ARI 700-
1988 while the final regulations were being drafted. However, the 
revised version was not completed in time for incorporation into this 
appendix by EPA. As discussed above, the updated version, known as ARI 
700-1993, includes changes in three areas: it adds purity standards for 
eleven additional refrigerants; it increases liquid phase contaminant 
water levels from 10ppm in ARI 700-1988 to 20ppm in ARI 700-1993 for R-
11 and R-113 only; and, where ARI 700-1988 allowed 0.5 as the maximum 
percentage by weight of ``other refrigerants,'' ARI 700-1993 allows 
0.50 as the maximum percentage by weight of ``all other organic 
impurities, including other refrigerants.'' The inclusion of all 
organic impurities in the limit effectively tightens the standard, and 
the change from 0.5 to 0.50 reduces the tolerance of the standard by a 
factor of ten. EPA has reviewed ARI 700-1993 and believes it should be 
substituted because it covers additional refrigerants, it increases 
liquid phase contaminant water levels, and broadens the maximum 
percentage of weight requirement to include all other organic 
impurities instead of just other refrigerants. Through this action EPA 
will substitute the standard based on ARI Standard 700-1988 with a 
standard based on ARI Standard 700-1993.

H. Appendix B

    Appendix B to Subpart F--Performance of Refrigerant Recovery, 
Recycling and/or Reclaim Equipment was mistakenly referred to in the 
introduction of appendix B as ARI Standard 740-1991. However, this is 
incorrect. Appendix B is based upon ARI Standard 740-1993. Through this 
action EPA will correct the reference in the introduction to appendix 
B.

I. Appendix D

    Appendix D to subpart F--Standards for Becoming a Certifying 
Program for Technicians includes reporting requirements for approved 
programs. Certifying programs are required to submit to EPA activity 
reports every six months, the first to be submitted six months 
following the date the program was approved. Since EPA has been 
approving programs on a continual basis, these reports are due at 
various times, instead of being submitted simultaneously. In order to 
maximize EPA's ability to review and respond to the information 
supplied by the programs, EPA is standardizing the reporting dates. 
Certifying programs will submit reports to EPA on January 30 and June 
30, beginning with the first full six-month period for which the 
program has been approved. This means that if a program is approved on 
March 31, that program is required to submit its first activity report 
to EPA on the following January 30.

J. Removal of Parenthetical Statements

    EPA is deleting the parenthetical notes in the individual sections 
of 40 CFR part 82, subpart F. The Agency consolidated its display of 
OMB control numbers in 40 CFR part 9 (see 58 FR 18014, 58 FR 24724, 58 
FR 34198 and 58 FR 34369) including the control number for 40 CFR part 
82, subpart F; this consolidated display makes the parenthetical 
statements in the individual sections of Subpart F duplicative. The 
information collection request (ICR) was previously subject to public 
notice and comment prior to OMB approval.

III. Effective Dates

    This final action will become effective on October 18, 1994 unless 
EPA is notified by September 19, 1994 that any person wishes to submit 
adverse comment. Should EPA receive such notice, EPA will publish one 
subsequent action in the Federal Register to withdraw this final action 
and another action proposing this action and requesting comments. In 
such a case, following a public comment period, the Agency will draft 
the final regulation to be published in the Federal Register.

IV. Summary of Supporting Analysis

A. Executive Order 12866

    Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), the 
Agency must determine whether this regulatory action is ``significant'' 
and therefore subject to OMB review and the requirements of the 
Executive Order. The Order defines ``significant'' regulatory action as 
one that is likely to lead to a rule that may:
    (1) Have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more, 
or adversely and materially affect a sector of the economy, 
productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or 
safety, or State, local, or tribal governments or communities;
    (2) Create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an 
action taken or planned by another agency;
    (3) Materially alter the budgetary impact of entitlement, grants, 
user fees, or loan programs or the rights and obligations of recipients 
thereof; or
    (4) Raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal 
mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles set forth in 
the Executive Order.
    It has been determined by OMB and EPA that this amendment to the 
final rule is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under the terms 
of Executive Order 12866 and is therefore not subject to OMB review 
under the Executive Order.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-602, requires that 
Federal agencies examine the impacts of their regulations on small 
entities. Under 5 U.S.C. 604(a), whenever an agency is required to 
publish a general notice of proposed rulemaking, it must prepare and 
make available for public comment an initial regulatory flexibility 
analysis (RFA). Such an analysis is not required if the head of an 
agency certifies that a rule will not have a significant economic 
impact on a substantial number of small entities, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
605(b).
    EPA believes that any impact that this amendment will have on the 
regulated community will serve only to provide relief from otherwise 
applicable regulations, and will therefore limit the negative economic 
impact associated with the regulations previously promulgated under 
Section 608. An examination of the impacts on small entities was 
discussed in the final rule (58 FR 28660). That final rule assessed the 
impact the rule may have on small entities. A separate regulatory 
impact analysis accompanied the final rule and is contained in Docket 
A-92-01. I certify that this amendment to the refrigerant recycling 
rule will not have any additional negative economic impacts on any 
small entities.

C. Paperwork Reduction Act

    Any information collection requirements in a rule must be submitted 
for approval to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. Because no additional 
informational collection requirements are required by this amendment, 
EPA has determined that the Paperwork Reduction Act does not apply to 
this rulemaking and no new Information Collection Request document has 
been prepared.

V. Judicial Review

    Because these regulations are nationally applicable under section 
307(b)(1) of the Act, judicial review of this action is available only 
by the filing of a petition for review in the United States Court of 
Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit within sixty days of 
publication of this action in the Federal Register.

List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 82

    Administrative practice and procedure, Air pollution control, 
Chemicals, Chlorofluorocarbons, Exports, Hydrochlorofluorocarbons, 
Imports, Interstate commerce, Nonessential products, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Stratospheric ozone layer.

    Dated: August 5, 1994.
Carol M. Browner,
Administrator.

    Part 82, Chapter I, title 40 of the code of Federal Regulations is 
amended as follows:

PART 82--PROTECTION OF STRATOSPHERIC OZONE

    1. The authority citation for part 82 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7414, 7601, 7671-7671q.

    2. Section 82.152 is amended by revising paragraphs (q) and (x) to 
read as follows:


Sec. 82.152  Definitions.

* * * * *
    (q) Reclaim refrigerant means to reprocess refrigerant to at least 
the purity specified in appendix A to 40 CFR part 82, subpart F (based 
on ARI Standard 700-1993, Specifications for Fluorocarbon and Other 
Refrigerants) and to verify this purity using the analytical 
methodology prescribed in appendix A. In general, reclamation involves 
the use of processes or procedures available only at a reprocessing or 
manufacturing facility.
* * * * *
    (x) Technician means any person who performs maintenance, service, 
or repair that could reasonably be expected to release class I or class 
II substances from appliances into the atmosphere, including, but not 
limited to, installers, contractor employees, in-house service 
personnel, and in some cases, owners. Technician also means any person 
disposing of appliances except for small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-
like equipment.
* * * * *
    3. Section 82.154 is amended by revising paragraphs (g) and (h) to 
read as follows:


Sec. 82.154  Prohibitions.

* * * * *
    (g) Effective October 18, 1994 until May 15, 1995, no person may 
sell or offer for sale for use as a refrigerant any class I or class II 
substance consisting wholly or in part of used refrigerant unless:
    (1) The class I or class II substance has been reclaimed as defined 
at Sec. 82.152(g);
    (2) The class I or class II substance was used only in an MVAC or 
MVAC-like appliance and is to be used only in an MVAC or MVAC-like 
appliance; or
    (3) The class I or class II substance is contained in an appliance 
that is sold or offered for sale together with the class I or class II 
substance.
    (h) Effective October 18, 1994 until May 15, 1995, no person may 
sell or offer for sale for use as a refrigerant any class I or class II 
substance consisting wholly or in part of used refrigerant unless:
    (1) The class I or class II substance has been reclaimed by a 
person who has been certified as a reclaimer pursuant to Sec. 82.164;
    (2) The class I or class II substance was used only in an MVAC or 
MVAC-like appliance and is to be used only in an MVAC or MVAC-like 
appliance; or
    (3) The class I or class II substance is contained in an appliance 
that is sold or offered for sale together with the class I or class II 
substance.
* * * * *
    4. Section 82.156 is amended by revising paragraphs (a)(1)(ii), 
(a)(2)(i)(B), (a)(3), (b), (c), and (i)(1), and by adding paragraphs 
(a)(1)(iii) and (a)(2)(iii) to read as follows:


Sec. 82.156  Required practices.

* * * * *
    (a) * * *
    (1) * * *
    (ii) Due to leaks in the appliance, evacuation to the levels in 
Table 1 is not attainable, or would substantially contaminate the 
refrigerant being recovered; or
    (iii) The recycling or recovery equipment was certified pursuant to 
Sec. 82.158(b)(2). In any of these cases, the requirements of 
Sec. 82.156(a)(2) must be followed.
    (2) * * *
    (i) * * *
    (B) Be pressurized to 0 psig before it is opened if it is a low-
pressure appliance. Persons pressurizing low-pressure appliances that 
use refrigerants with boiling points at or below 85 deg. F at 29.9 
inches of mercury (standard atmospheric pressure), (e.g., CFC-11 and 
HCFC-123,) must not use methods, such as nitrogen, that require 
subsequent purging. Persons pressurizing low-pressure appliances that 
use refrigerants with boiling points above 85 deg. F at 29.9 inches of 
mercury, e.g., CFC-113, must use heat to raise the internal pressure of 
the appliance as much as possible, but may use nitrogen to raise the 
internal pressure of the appliance from the level attainable through 
use of heat to atmospheric pressure.
* * * * *
    (iii) If the recycling or recovery equipment was certified pursuant 
to Sec. 82.158(b)(2), technicians must follow the manufacturer's 
directions for achieving the required recovery efficiency.
* * * * *
    (3) Persons disposing of appliances except for small appliances, 
MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances, must evacuate to the levels in Table 1 
unless, due to leaks in the appliance, evacuation to the levels in 
Table 1 is not attainable, or would substantially contaminate the 
refrigerant being recovered. If, due to leaks in the appliance, 
evacuation to the levels in Table 1 is not attainable, or would 
substantially contaminate the refrigerant being recovered, persons 
disposing of the appliance must:
    (i) Isolate leaking from non-leaking components wherever possible;
    (ii) Evacuate non-leaking components to the levels specified in 
Table 1; and
    (iii) Evacuate leaking components to the lowest level that can be 
attained without substantially contaminating the refrigerant. In no 
case shall this level exceed 0 psig.
* * * * *
    (b) Effective October 18, 1994, all persons opening appliances 
except for small appliances and MVACs for maintenance, service, or 
repair and all persons disposing of appliances except small appliances, 
MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances must have at least one piece of 
certified, self-contained recovery or recycling equipment available at 
their place of business. Persons who maintain, service, repair, or 
dispose of only appliances that they own and that contain pump-out 
units are exempt from this requirement. This exemption does not relieve 
such persons from other applicable requirements of Sec. 82.156.
    (c) System-dependent equipment shall not be used with appliances 
normally containing more than 15 pounds of refrigerant, unless the 
system-dependent equipment is permanently attached to the appliance as 
a pump-out unit.
* * * * *
    (i) * * * (1) Owners of commercial refrigeration and industrial 
process refrigeration equipment normally containing more than 50 pounds 
of refrigerant must have all leaks repaired if the equipment is leaking 
at a rate such that the loss of refrigerant will exceed 35 percent of 
the total charge during a 12-month period, except as described in 
paragraph (i)(3) of this section.
* * * * *
    5. Section 82.158 is amended by revising paragraphs (b)(2) and 
(b)(6) to read as follows:


Sec. 82.158  Standards for recycling and recovery equipment.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (2) Recovery or recycling equipment whose recovery efficiency 
cannot be tested according to the procedures in ARI 740-1993 may be 
certified if an approved third-party testing organization adopts and 
performs a test that demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the 
Administrator, that the recovery efficiency of that equipment is equal 
to or better than that of equipment that:
    (i) Is intended for use with the same type of appliance; and
    (ii) Achieves the level of evacuation in Table 2. The 
manufacturer's instructions must specify how to achieve the required 
recovery efficiency, and the equipment must be tested when used 
according to these instructions.
* * * * *
    (6) The equipment must have its liquid recovery rate and its vapor 
recovery rate measured under the conditions of ARI 740-1993, unless the 
equipment has no inherent liquid or vapor recovery rate.
* * * * *
    6. Section 82.161 is amended by revising paragraph (a) introductory 
text to read as follows:


Sec. 82.161  Technician certification.

    (a) Effective November 14, 1994, persons who maintain, service, or 
repair appliances, except MVACs, and persons who dispose of appliances, 
except for small appliances, room air conditioners, MVACs and MVAC-like 
appliances, must be certified by an approved technician certification 
program as follows:
* * * * *
    7. Section 82.164 is amended by revising the introductory text and 
paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) and by redesignating paragraphs (e) 
and (f) as (f) and (g) and by adding a new paragraph (e) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 82.164  Reclaimer certification.

    Effective October 18, 1994, persons reclaiming used refrigerant for 
sale to a new owner must certify to the Administrator that such person 
will:
    (a) Return refrigerant to at least the standard of purity set forth 
in appendix A (based on ARI Standard 700-1993, Specifications for 
Fluorocarbon and Other Refrigerants);
    (b) Verify this purity using the methods set forth in appendix A;
    (c) Release no more than 1.5 percent of the refrigerant during the 
reclamation process; and
    (d) Dispose of wastes from the reclamation process in accordance 
with all applicable laws and regulations.
    (e) The data elements for certification are as follows:
    (1) The name and address of the reclaimer;
    (2) A list of equipment used to reprocess and analyze the 
refrigerant; and
    (3) The owner or a responsible officer of the reclaimer must sign 
the certification stating that the refrigerant will be returned to at 
least the standard of purity set forth in appendix A, that the purity 
of the refrigerant will be verified using the methods set forth in 
appendix A, that no more than 1.5 percent of the refrigerant will be 
released during the reclamation process, that wastes from the 
reclamation process will be properly disposed of, and that the 
information given is true and correct. The certification should be sent 
to the following address: Section 608 Recycling Program Manager, 
Reclaimer Certification, Stratospheric Protection Division (6205J), 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20460.
* * * * *
    8. Section 82.166 is amended by revising paragraphs (a) and (b) to 
read as follows:


Sec. 82.166  Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    (a) Effective November 14, 1994, all persons who sell or distribute 
any class I or class II substance for use as a refrigerant must retain 
invoices that indicate the name of the purchaser, the date of sale, and 
the quantity of refrigerant purchased.
    (b) Purchasers of any class I or class II refrigerants who employ 
certified technicians may provide evidence that at least one technician 
is properly certified to the wholesaler who sells them refrigerant; the 
wholesaler will then keep this information on file and may sell 
refrigerant to the purchaser or his authorized representative even if 
such purchaser or authorized representative is not a properly certified 
technician. In such cases, the purchaser must notify the wholesaler in 
the event that the purchaser no longer employs at least one properly 
certified technician. The wholesaler is then prohibited from selling 
class I or class II refrigerants to the purchaser until such time as 
the purchaser employs at least one properly certified technician. At 
that time, the purchaser must provide new evidence that at least one 
technician is properly certified.
* * * * *
    9. Appendix A to subpart F is revised to read as follows:

Appendix A to Subpart F--Specifications for Fluorocarbon Refrigerants

    This appendix is based on Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration 
Institute Standard 700-93:

Section 1.  Purpose

    1.1  Purpose. The purpose of this standard is to evaluate and 
accept/reject refrigerants regardless of source (new, reclaimed and/
or repackaged) for use in new and existing refrigeration and air-
conditioning products.
    1.1.1  This standard is intended for the guidance of the 
industry including manufacturers, refrigerant reclaimers, 
repackagers, distributors, installers, servicemen, contractors and 
for consumers.
    1.2  Review and Amendment. This standard is subject to review 
and amendment as the technology advances. The dynamics of this 
technology is advancing so rapidly that changes to this standard 
must be frequent.

Section 2.  Scope

    2.1  Scope. This standard specifies acceptable levels of 
contaminants (purity requirements) for various fluorocarbon 
refrigerants regardless of source and lists acceptable test methods. 
These refrigerants are R11; R12; R13; R22; R113; R114; R123; R124; 
R500; R502 and R503 as referenced in the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard Number 
Designation and Safety Classification of Refrigerants (American 
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, 
Inc., Standard 34 1992). Copies may be obtained from ASHRAE 
Publications Sales, 1791 Tullie Circle, NE., Atlanta, GA 30329. 
Copies may also be inspected at Public Docket No. A-92-01, Waterside 
Mall (Ground Floor) Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, 
SW., Washington, DC in room M-1500. In addition the following blends 
are listed: R22/152a/124 (53/13/34); R22/152a/124 (61/11/28); R125/
290/22 (60/2/38); R125/290/22 (38/2/60).

Section 3.  Definitions

    3.1  ``Shall'', ``Should'', ``Recommended'', or ``It Is 
Recommended''. ``Shall'', ``should'', ``recommended'', or ``it is 
recommended'' shall be interpreted as follows:
    3.1.1  Shall. Where ``shall'' or ``shall not'' is used for a 
provision specified, that provision is mandatory if compliance with 
the standard is claimed.
    3.1.2  Should, Recommended, or It is Recommended. ``Should '', 
``recommended'', or ``it is recommended'' is used to indicate 
provisions which are not mandatory but which are desirable as good 
practice.

Section 4.  Characterization of Refrigerants and Contaminants

    4.1  Characterization. Characterization of refrigerants and 
contaminants addressed are listed in the following general 
classifications:

4.1.1  Characterization:
    a. Gas Chromatography
    b. Boiling point and boiling point range
4.1.2  Contaminants
    a. Water
    b. Chloride
    c. Acidity
    d. High boiling residue
    e. Particulates/solids
    f. Non-condensables
    g. Impurities including other refrigerants

Section 5.  Sampling, Summary of Test Methods and Maximum 
Permissible Contaminant Levels

    5.1  Referee Test. The referee test methods for the various 
contaminants are summarized in the following paragraphs. Detailed 
test procedures are included in Parts 1 through 9, 12 through 15, 
and 19 through 23 of Appendix-93 to ARI Standard 700: Analytical 
Procedures of ARI Standard 700-93, 1994, the Air-Conditioning and 
Refrigeration Institute. These parts of Appendix-93 to ARI 700 are 
incorporated by reference. This incorporation by reference was 
approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 
5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Copies may be obtained from the 
Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute, 4301 North Fairfax 
Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22203. Copies may also be inspected at 
Public Docket No. A-92-01, Waterside Mall (Ground Floor) 
Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 
in room M-1500 or at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North 
Capitol Street, NW., Suite 700, Washington, DC. If alternate test 
methods are employed, the user must be able to demonstrate that they 
produce results equivalent to the specified referee method.
    5.2  Refrigerant Sampling.
    5.2.1  Sampling Precautions. Special precautions should be taken 
to assure that representative samples are obtained for analysis. 
Sampling shall be done by trained laboratory personnel following 
accepted sampling and safety procedures.
    5.2.2  Gas Phase Sample. A gas phase sample shall be obtained 
for determining the non-condensables. Since non-condensable gases, 
if present, will concentrate in the vapor phase of the refrigerant, 
care must be exercised to eliminate introduction of air during the 
sample transfer. Purging is not an acceptable procedure for a gas 
phase sample since it may introduce a foreign product. Since R11, 
R113 and R123 have normal boiling points at or above room 
temperature, non-condensable determination is not required for these 
refrigerants.
    5.2.2.1  Connection. The sample cylinder shall be connected to 
an evacuated gas sampling bulb by means of a manifold. The manifold 
should have a valve arrangement that facilitates evacuation of all 
connecting tubing leading to the sampling bulb.
    5.2.2.2  Equalizing Pressures. After the manifold has been 
evacuated, close the valve to the pump and open the valve on the 
system. Allow the pressure to equilibrate and close valves.
    5.2.3  Liquid Phase Sample. A liquid phase sample is required 
for all tests listed in this standard except the test for non- 
condensables.
    5.2.3.1  Preparation. Place an empty sample cylinder with the 
valve open in an oven at 230  deg.F [110  deg.C] for one hour. 
Remove it from the oven while hot, immediately connect to an 
evacuation system and evacuate to less than 1 mm mercury (1000 
microns). Close the valve and allow it to cool.
    5.2.3.2  Manifolding. The valve and lines from the unit to be 
sampled shall be clean and dry. The cylinder shall be connected to 
an evacuated gas sampling cylinder by means of a manifold. The 
manifold should have a valve arrangement that facilitates evacuation 
of all connecting tubing leading to the sampling cylinder.
    5.2.3.3  Liquid Sampling. After the manifold has been evacuated, 
close the valve to the pump and open the valve on the system. Take 
the sample as a liquid by chilling the sample cylinder slightly. 
Accurate analysis requires that the sample container be filled to at 
least 60% by volume, however under no circumstances should the 
cylinder be filled to more than 80% by volume. This can be 
accomplished by weighing the empty cylinder and then the cylinder 
with refrigerant. When the desired amount of refrigerant has been 
collected, close the valve(s) and disconnect the sample cylinder 
immediately.
    5.2.3.4  Record Weight. Check the sample cylinder for leaks and 
record the gross weight.
    5.3  Refrigerant Purity Characterization.
    5.3.1  Primary Method. The primary method shall be gas 
chromatography (GC) as described in Appendix-93 to ARI Standard 700. 
The chromatogram of the sample shall be compared to known standards.
    5.3.2  Alternative Method. Determination of the boiling point 
and boiling point range is an acceptable alternative test method 
which can be used to characterize refrigerants. The test method 
shall be that described in the Federal Specification for 
``Fluorocarbon Refrigerants,'' BB-F-1421 B, dated March 5, 1982, 
section 4.4.3 which is incorporated by reference. This incorporation 
by reference was approved by the Director of the Federal Register in 
accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Copies may be 
obtained from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of 
Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328. Copies may 
also be inspected at Public Docket No. A-92-01, Waterside Mall 
(Ground Floor) Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW., 
Washington, DC in room M-1500 or at the Office of the Federal 
Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., Suite 700, Washington, DC.
    5.3.3  Required Values. The required values for boiling point 
and boiling point range are given in table 1, Physical Properties of 
Fluorocarbon Refrigerants and Maximum Contaminant Levels.
    5.4  Water Content.
    5.4.1  Method. The Coulometric Karl Fischer Titration shall be 
the primary test method for determining the water content of 
refrigerants. This method is described in Appendix-93 to ARI 
Standard 700. This method can be used for refrigerants that are 
either a liquid or a gas at room temperature, including refrigerants 
11 and 113, and 123. For all refrigerants, the sample for water 
analysis shall be taken from the liquid phase of the container to be 
tested. Proper operation of the analytical method requires special 
equipment and an experienced operator. The precision of the results 
is excellent if proper sampling and handling procedures are 
followed. Refrigerants containing a colored dye can be successfully 
analyzed for water using this method.
    5.4.2  Alternative Method. The Karl Fischer Test Method is an 
acceptable alternative test method to the Coulometric Karl Fischer 
Titration for determining the water content of refrigerants. This 
method is described in ASTM E700-79, (Reapproved 1990), Standard 
Test Method for Water in Gases Using Karl Fischer Reagent (American 
Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, PA), which is 
incorporated by reference. This incorporation by reference was 
approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 
5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Copies may be obtained from the 
American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, PA. Copies 
may also be inspected at Public Docket No. A-92-01, Waterside Mall 
(Ground Floor) Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW., 
Washington, DC in room M-1500 or at the Office of the Federal 
Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., Suite 700, Washington, DC.
    5.4.3  Limits. The value for water content shall be expressed as 
parts per million by weight and shall not exceed the maximum 
specified (see tables 1 and 1a).
    5.5  Chloride. The refrigerant shall be tested for chloride as 
an indication of the presence of hydrochloric acid and/or metal 
chlorides. The recommended procedure is intended for use with new or 
reclaimed refrigerants. Significant amounts of oil may interfere 
with the results by indicating a failure in the absence of chloride.
    5.5.1  Method. The test method shall be that described in 
Appendix-93 to ARI Standard 700. The test will show noticeable 
turbidity at chloride levels of about 3 ppm by weight or higher.
    5.5.2  Turbidity. The results of the test shall not exhibit any 
sign of turbidity. Report the results as ``pass'' or ``fail.''
    5.6  Acidity.
    5.6.1  Method. The acidity test uses the titration principle to 
detect any compound that is highly soluble in water and ionizes as 
an acid. The test method shall be that described in Appendix- 93 to 
ARI Standard 700. This test may not be suitable for determination of 
high molecular weight organic acids; however these acids will be 
found in the high boiling residue test outlined in 5.7. The test 
requires a 100 to 120 gram sample and has a detection limit of 0.1 
ppm by weight calculated as HCl.
    5.6.2  Limits. The maximum permissible acidity is 1 ppm by 
weight as HCl.
    5.7  High Boiling Residue.
    5.7.1  Method. High boiling residue shall be determined by 
measuring the residue of a standard volume of refrigerant after 
evaporation. The refrigerant sample shall be evaporated at room 
temperature or at a temperature 50  deg.F [28K], above the boiling 
point of the sample using a Goetz bulb as specified in Appendix- 93 
to ARI Standard 700. Oils and or organic acids will be captured by 
this method.
    5.7.2   Limits. The value for high boiling residue shall be 
expressed as a percentage by volume and shall not exceed the maximum 
percent specified (see tables 1 and 1a).
    5.8  Particulates/Solids.
    5.8.1  Method. A measured amount of sample is evaporated from a 
Goetz bulb under controlled temperature conditions. The 
particulates/solids shall be determined by visual examination of the 
Goetz bulb prior to the evaporation of refrigerant. Presence of 
dirt, rust or other particulate contamination is reported as 
``fail.'' For details of this test method, refer to Appendix-93 to 
ARI Standard 700.
    5.9  Non-Condensables.
    5.9.1  Sample. A vapor phase sample shall be used for 
determination of non-condensables. Non-condensable gases consist 
primarily of air accumulated in the vapor phase of refrigerants. The 
solubility of air in the refrigerants liquid phase is extremely low 
and air is not significant as a liquid phase contaminant. The 
presence of non-condensable gases may reflect poor quality control 
in transferring refrigerants to storage tanks and cylinders.
    5.9.2  Method. The test method shall be gas chromatography with 
a thermal conductivity detector as described in Appendix-93 to ARI 
Standard 700.
    5.9.3  Limit. The maximum level of non-condensables in the vapor 
phase of a refrigerant in a container shall not exceed 1.5% by 
volume (see table 1 and 1a).
    5.10  Impurities, including Other Refrigerants.
    5.10.1  Method. The amount of other impurities including other 
refrigerants in the subject refrigerant shall be determined by gas 
chromatography as described in Appendix-93 to ARI Standard 700.
    5.10.2  Limit. The subject refrigerant shall not contain more 
than 0.50% by weight of impurities including other refrigerants (see 
table 1 and 1a).

Section 6.  Reporting Procedure

    6.1  Reporting Procedure. The source (manufacturer, reclaimer or 
repackager) of the packaged refrigerant shall be identified. The 
refrigerant shall be identified by its accepted refrigerant number 
and/or its chemical name. Maximum permissible levels of contaminants 
are shown in table 1. Test results shall be tabulated in a like 
manner.

                                        Table 1.--Characteristics of Refrigerants and Maximum Contaminant Levels                                        
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    Reference                                                                           
                                         Reporting units           (subclause)     R11      R12       R13      R22      R113     R114     R123     R124 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Characteristics*:                                                                                                                                       
    Boiling Point*.............  F @ 1.00 atm..................  ..............     74.9    -21.6    -114.6    -41.4    117.6     38.8     82.6     12.2
                                  deg.C @ 1.00 atm.............  ..............     23.8    -29.8     -81.4    -40.8     47.6      3.8     27.9    -11.0
    Boiling Point Range*.......  K.............................  ..............      0.3      0.3       0.5      0.3      0.3      0.3      0.3      0.3
    Typical Isomer Content.....  By weight.....................  ..............  .......  .......  ........  .......     0-1%    0-30%     0-8%     0-5%
                                 ..............................  ..............  .......  .......  ........  .......    R113a    R114a    R123a    R124a
Vapor phase contaminants:                                                                                                                               
    Air and other non-           % by volume @ 25  deg.C.......             5.9    N/A**      1.5       1.5      1.5    N/A**      1.5    N/A**      1.5
     condensables.                                                                                                                                      
Liquid phase contaminants:                                                                                                                              
    Water......................  ppm by weight.................             5.4       20       10        10       10       20       10       20       10
    All other impurities         % by weight...................            5.10     0.50     0.50      0.50     0.50     0.50     0.50     0.50     0.50
     including refrigerants.                                                                                                                            
    High boiling residue.......  % by volume...................             5.7     0.01     0.01      0.05     0.01     0.03     0.01     0.01     0.01
    Particulates/solids........  Visually clean to pass........             5.8     Pass     Pass      Pass     Pass     Pass     Pass     Pass     Pass
    Acidity....................  ppm by weight.................             5.6      1.0      1.0       1.0      1.0      1.0      1.0      1.0      1.0
    Chlorides***...............  No visible turbidity..........             5.5     Pass     Pass      Pass     Pass     Pass     Pass     Pass     Pass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Boiling points and boiling point ranges, although not required, are provided for informational purposes.                                               
**Since R11, R113 and R123 have normal boiling points at or above room temperature, non-condensable determinations are not required for these           
  refrigerants.                                                                                                                                         
***Recognized Chloride level for pass/fail is 3ppm.                                                                                                     


                                        Table 1A.--Characteristcs of Refrigerants and Maximum Contaminant Levels                                        
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   Reference                                                                                            
                             Reporting units      (subclause)     R401A        R401B        R402A        R402B         R500         R502         R503   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Characteristics*:                                                                                                                                       
    Refrigerant          .......................  ...........  R22/152a/12  R22/152a/12  R125/290/22  R125/290/22     R12/152A      522/115       R23/13
     Components.                                                         4            4                                                                 
    Nominal Comp,        .......................  ...........     53/13/34     61/11/28      60/2/38      38/2/60    73.8/26.2    48.8/51.2    40.1/59.9
     weight%.                                                                                                                                           
    Allowable Comp,      .......................  ...........  51-55/11.5-  59-63/9.5-1  58-62/1-3/3  6-40/1-3/58   72.8-74.8/   44.8-52.8/  39-41/59-61
     weight%.                                                        13.5/         1.5/         6-40          -62    25.2-27.2    47.2-55.2             
                                                                     33-35        27-29                                                                 
    Boiling Point*.....  F @ 1.00 atm...........  ...........   -27.6 to -   -30.4 to -   -56.5 to -   -53.3 to -                                       
                                                                      16.0         18.5         52.9         49.0                                       
                         C @ 1.00 atm...........  ...........   -33.4 to -   -34.7 to -   -49.1 to -   -47.4 to -        -33.5        -45.4        -88.7
                                                                      26.6         28.6         47.2         45.0                                       
    Boiling Point        K......................  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........  ...........          0.5          0.5          0.5
     Range*.                                                                                                                                            
Vapor Phase                                                                                                                                             
 Contaminants:                                                                                                                                          
    Air and other non-   % by volume @ 25 deg.C.        5.9            1.5          1.5          1.5          1.5          1.5          1.5          1.5
     condensables.                                                                                                                                      
Liquid Phase                                                                                                                                            
 Contaminants:                                                                                                                                          
    Water..............  ppm by weight..........        5.4             10           10           10           10           10           10           10
    All other            % by weight............       5.10           0.50         0.50         0.50         0.50         0.50         0.50         0.50
     impurities                                                                                                                                         
     including                                                                                                                                          
     refrigerants.                                                                                                                                      
    High boiling         % by volume............        5.7           0.01         0.01         0.01         0.01         0.05         0.01         0.01
     residue.                                                                                                                                           
    Particulates/solids  Visually clean to pass.        5.8           Pass         Pass         Pass         Pass         Pass         Pass         Pass
    Acidity............  ppm by weight..........        5.6            1.0          1.0          1.0          1.0          1.0          1.0          1.0
    Chlorides**........  No visible turbidity...        5.5           Pass         Pass         Pass         Pass         Pass         Pass        Pass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Boiling points and boiling point ranges, although not required, are provided for informational purposes.                                               
**Recognized Chloride level for pass/fail is 3ppm.                                                                                                      

    10. Appendix B to subpart F is amended by revising the introductory 
text to read as follows:

Appendix B to subpart F--Performance of Refrigerant Recovery, Recycling 
and/or Reclaim Equipment

    This appendix is based on Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration 
Institute Standard 740-93.
* * * * *
    11. Appendix D to subpart F is amended by revising section g to 
read as follows:

Appendix D to Subpart F--Standards for Becoming a Certifying Program 
for Technicians

* * * * *

g. Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements

    Certifying programs must maintain records for at least three 
years which include, but are not limited to, the names and addresses 
of all individuals taking the tests, the scores of all certification 
tests administered, and the dates and locations of all testing 
administered.
    EPA must receive an activity report from all approved certifying 
programs by every January 30 and June 30, the first to be submitted 
following the first full six-month period for which the program has 
been approved by EPA. This report will include the pass/fail rate 
and testing schedules. This will allow the Agency to determine the 
relative progress and success of these programs. If the certifying 
program believes a test bank question needs to be modified, 
information about that question should also be included.
    Approved certifying programs will receive a letter of approval 
from EPA. Each testing center must display a copy of that letter.
* * * * *


Secs. 82.156, 82.160, 82.161, 82.162, 82.164, 82.166 and Appendix 
D  [Amended]

    12. Sections 82.156, 82.160, 82.161, 82.162, 82.164, 82.166, and 
appendix D are amended by removing the parenthetical statement 
containing the OMB control number at the end of the section.

[FR Doc. 94-20169 Filed 8-18-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P