Congressman challenges refrigerant ban
A member of the powerful Committee on Energy and Commerce has written to the EPA expressing serious concern over plans to ban certain high GWP refrigerants.
Congressman Ed Whitfield, chairman of the Energy and Power Subcommittee has requested information related to the legality, cost, and feasibility of the decision.
In July last year the EPA announced a proposal to ban a number of common HFC refrigerants including R404A, R507A and R134a in certain products and applications from as early as January 1, 2016.
Hundreds of manufacturers have warned of the near-impossibility of meeting the proposed deadlines as well as the high costs and potential risks of using alternative compounds, many of which are flammable. In addition to the impact on manufacturers, more than a million restaurants and other small businesses rely on equipment affected by the proposed rule, and many have raised serious concerns about costs and safety…