Q: Is the venting of refrigerants permitted?

A: No person maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing of an appliance or industrial process refrigeration equipment may knowingly vent or otherwise release into the environment any refrigerant from such appliances or equipment. Refrigerants recovered from appliances may not be knowingly released after recovery.

De minimis releases.  De minimis releases associated with good faith attempts to recycle or recover refrigerants, other than exempt substitutes, are not subject to the venting prohibition, provided:

• The requirements for safe disposal of appliances under 40 CFR 82.155 are followed;
• The requirements for proper evacuation of refrigerants from appliance under 40 CFR 82.156 are followed;
• The requirements for appliance maintenance and leak repair under 40 CFR 82.157 are followed for any appliances containing Class I or Class II refrigerants;
• Recovery and/or recycling machines meet the requirements of 40 CFR 82.158 are used to removed the refrigerant from the appliance;
• The technicians performing the work are properly certified per 40 CFR 82.161;
• The requirements for reclamation under 40 CFR 82.164 are followed; and
• The requirements for servicing of motor vehicle air conditioners under 40 CFR 82 Subpart B are followed, when applicable.

Exempt Substitutes.  The venting prohibition does not apply to the following substitutes used in the following applications:

• Carbon dioxide in any application;
• Nitrogen in any application;
• Water in any application;
• Ammonia in commercial or industrial process refrigeration or in absorption units;
• Chlorine in industrial process refrigeration;
• Hydrocarbons in industrial process refrigeration;
• Ethane (R–170) in very low temperature refrigeration equipment and equipment for non-mechanical heat transfer;
• Propane (R-290) in retail food refrigerators and freezers (stand-alone units only); household refrigerators, freezers, and combination refrigerators and freezers; self-contained room air conditioners for residential and light commercial air-conditioning and heat pumps; vending machines; self-contained commercial ice machines, very low temperature refrigeration equipment, and water coolers;
• Isobutane (R–600a) in retail food refrigerators and freezers (stand-alone units only); household refrigerators, freezers, and combination refrigerators and freezers; and vending machines; and
• R–441A in retail food refrigerators and freezers (stand-alone units only); household refrigerators, freezers, and combination refrigerators and freezers; self-contained room air conditioners for residential and light commercial air-conditioning; heat pumps; and vending machines.