EPA finalized standards Monday for how operators find and fix leaks for a set of climate superpollutants used in cooling and refrigeration.
The hydrofluorocarbon management rule sets standards for leak detection, monitoring and repair of equipment that uses the chemicals — which can be thousands of times more climate-forcing than carbon dioxide.
The rule requires the use of reclaimed HFCs — rather than new chemicals — when servicing certain equipment and sets standards for what qualifies as “reclaimed HFC” refrigerants. It also sets standards for the disposal of cylinders that previously contained HFCs.
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EPA Administrator Michael Regan in a statement called the policy “the final foundational step in our strategy to address HFCs.”
