WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is proposing a rule that would prohibit the use of certain HFC refrigerants that have high global warming potential in select refrigeration applications.

For new and retrofit retail food refrigeration — including stand-alone equipment, condensing units, direct supermarket systems, and indirect supermarket systems — and new and retrofit vending machines, EPA is proposing to list that the HFC blends R-507A and R-404A are unacceptable.

For new and retrofit retail food refrigeration — including direct supermarket systems and indirect supermarket systems — EPA is proposing to list that HFC-227ea, R-407B, R-421B, R-422A, R-422C, R-422D, R-428A, and R-434A are unacceptable.

For new stand-alone retail food refrigeration and new vending machines, EPA is proposing to list that HFC-134a and certain other HFC refrigerant blends are unacceptable.

The above is to go into effect as of Jan. 1, 2016.

Once published in the Federal Register, the proposed rule will go through a 60-day public comment period.

For more information on the proposed rule, click here.

Publication date: 7/14/2014

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