As refrigerant gases contribute highly to global warming and the degradation of our ozone layer due to the hydrochlorofluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons, EPA's US Clean Air Act Section 608 set regulations on the handling, recovery, recycling, and disposal or refrigerants.

As stated in Section 608, it is illegal to intentionally vent refrigerants into the air during routine maintenance, servicing, repairing, or disposal of equipment. Monitoring systems is required by the regulation, although it allows refrigerant gases to be discharged during normal operation.

The U.S. Clean Air Act (Section 608) explains the current restrictions on the use of refrigerant gases, the guidelines for their phase-out, the eventual elimination of the chemical compounds and the accepted and approved substitutes. The regulation applies to many commercial and industrial uses. They include retail food refrigeration, cold storage warehouses, chillers, industrial process refrigeration, packaged air conditioners and heat pumps, and transport refrigeration.

Under Section 608, regulations on record-keeping are stipulated for all wholesalers, reclaimer, operators, owners, and technicians of any system that use refrigerant gases. Any entity involved in any process involving refrigerant gases should properly keep records which outline the date, service type and amount of refrigerant involved. These records are required to be submitted to the EPA for compliance purposes. Those who fail to follow the law could be subject to fines of up to $32,500 per day per violation.

The requirements on leak repair that is outlined in Section 608 will apply to air-conditioning systems, commercial refrigeration, industrial process refrigeration appliances, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. When a leak occurs, owners of the business or facility must keep precise records of how much gas was discharged before it was repaired. This information, along with repair documentation must be reported under the U.S. Clean Air Act. Severe monetary penalties will be levied on those who fail to do so.

A leak repair timeline is specifically spelled out under Section 608. The law mandates that refrigerant leaks be repaired within 30 days. This time frame is the projected discharge rate on a 12-month period according to the current rate of leak, and is not based on the total refrigerant loss. The regulation requires all companies to keep very accurate records and submit them as required to be able to track this information. Those who fail to comply face strict penalties.

Complying with The U.S. Clean Air Act (Section 608) means technicians must follow evacuation requirements when opening cooling and refrigeration systems during maintenance, service and repair circumstances. The regulation requires refrigerant reclaimers who reprocess used refrigerant back to specified purity levels to be certified by the EPA.

A number of topics are covered under Section 608 of the U.S. Clean Air Act as well as specific guidelines related to various issues and circumstances involving refrigerants. These include protocols for service technicians, refrigerant sales and distribution guidelines and refrigerant reclamation and leak repair requirements. Those who manufacture or import refrigerant recovery and recycling equipment must have it tested by an EPA approved facility and provide certification to buyers.