On February 26, 2020, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed the final rule Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Revisions to the Refrigerant Management Program’s Extension to Substitutes. This action rescinds the November 18, 2016, extension of the leak repair provisions to appliances using substitute refrigerants, such has hydrofluorocarbons. This action does not rescind the applicability of the other 40 CFR Part 82 Subpart F provisions that were extended to substitute refrigerants such as the sales restriction and technician certification requirement, safe disposal requirements, evacuation requirements, reclamation standards, and requirement to use certified recovery equipment. Likewise, this action does not affect the requirements for appliances containing ozone-depleting refrigerants.
An advance copy of the rule is available at https://www.epa.gov/section608/revised-section-608-refrigerant-management-regulations which will be updated once the rule is published in the Federal Register. This final rule will be effective 30 days after its publication in the Federal Register. To view the public docket in the Federal Register, visit www.regulations.gov and search for docket number EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0629.