96-4033. Protection of Stratospheric Ozone; Servicing of Motor Vehicle Air Conditioners  

  • [Federal Register Volume 61, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 6, 1996)]
    [Proposed Rules]
    [Pages 9014-9033]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 96-4033]
    
    
    
    
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    Part II
    
    
    
    
    
    Environmental Protection Agency
    
    
    
    
    
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    40 CFR Part 82
    
    
    
    Protection of Stratospheric Ozone; Servicing of Motor Vehicle Air 
    Conditioners; Proposed Rule
    
    Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 6, 1996 / 
    Proposed Rules 
    
    [[Page 9014]]
    
    
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    
    40 CFR Part 82
    
    [FRL-5426-1]
    RIN 2060-AF35
    
    
    Protection of Stratospheric Ozone; Servicing of Motor Vehicle Air 
    Conditioners
    
    AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
    
    ACTION: Proposed rule.
    
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    SUMMARY: On July 14, 1992, EPA published a final rule in the Federal 
    Register establishing standards and requirements regarding the 
    servicing of motor vehicle air conditioners (MVACs) that use 
    chlorofluorocarbon-12 (CFC-12), a class I refrigerant, and establishing 
    restrictions on the sale of small containers of class I or class II 
    refrigerants, pursuant to section 609 of the Clean Air Act, as amended 
    (the Act).
        Pursuant to section 609(b)(1), today's proposed rule would 
    establish standards and requirements for the servicing of motor vehicle 
    air conditioners that use class I or class II substances other than 
    CFC-12 as a refrigerant, or use HFC-134a, a non-ozone-depleting 
    substitute for CFC-12, or any other substitute for a class I or class 
    II substance used in an MVAC.
        Today's proposed rule also would require that at motor vehicle 
    disposal facilities, either section 609 certified technicians, or 
    employees, owners or operators of the facilities, be used to recover 
    refrigerant (whether CFC-12 or a substitute) from motor vehicles 
    located at the facilities and bound for disposal. The recovered 
    refrigerant would have to be reclaimed or recycled using approved 
    equipment prior to use in recharging an MVAC or MVAC-like appliance. 
    The proposal would also establish standards for owners and operators of 
    salvage yards, scrap recycling facilities, landfills or other 
    facilities where such vehicles may be located, to sell refrigerant 
    recovered from such vehicles to section 609 certified technicians. 
    Finally, the proposal would establish standards for mobile recovery and 
    recycling service.
        Today's proposal increases industry flexibility in selecting and 
    purchasing proper recovery and recycling equipment by establishing 
    standards for equipment that recovers and/or recycles additional 
    refrigerants, and approving independent testing organizations that 
    certify such equipment.
        By promoting the recycling or reclamation of all refrigerants from 
    MVACs, this proposed rule will help to lower the risk of depletion of 
    the stratospheric ozone layer and the possibility of global warming, 
    thus diminishing potentially harmful effects to human health and the 
    environment, including increased incidence of certain skin cancers and 
    cataracts.
    
    DATES: Written comments on this proposed rule must be received by April 
    5, 1996, unless a hearing is requested by March 18, 1996. If a hearing 
    is requested, written comments must be received 30 days after the 
    hearing. Individuals wishing to request a hearing must contact the 
    Stratospheric Ozone Information Hotline at 1-800-296-1996 between 10 
    a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, Eastern time, by March 18, 
    1996. To find out whether a hearing will take place, contact the 
    Stratospheric Ozone Information Hotline after March 19, 1996.
    
    ADDRESSES: Written comments and data should be sent to Public Docket 
    No. A-95-34. This docket is located in Room M-1500, Waterside Mall 
    (Ground Floor), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, 
    S.W. Washington, D.C. 20460. Dockets may be inspected from 8:30 a.m. to 
    5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. A reasonable fee may be charged for 
    copying docket materials.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Dibble, Stratospheric 
    Protection Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs, Office of Air and 
    Radiation (6205-J), 401 M Street S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460. (202) 
    233-9147 or fax (202) 233-9577 or electronically at 
    dibble.christine@epamail.epa.gov. Comments and data submitted 
    electronically will not be accepted. The Ozone Information Hotline at 
    1-800-296-1996 can also be contacted for further information.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The contents of today's preamble are listed 
    in the following outline:
    
    I. Background
        A. Statutory Authority
        B. July 14, 1992 Final Rule and May 2, 1995 Supplemental Final 
    Rule
    II. Today's Proposed Rule
        A. Service Practices
        1. The Handling of Refrigerant From Motor Vehicles Bound for 
    Disposal and Located at Motor Vehicle Disposal Facilities
        2. Mobile Recovery and Recycling
        B. Standards for Recover/Recycle Equipement
        1. Standard for HFC-134a Recover/Recycle Equipment
        2. Standard for HFC-134a Recover-only Equipment
        3. Standard for Automotive Refrigerant Recycling Equipment 
    Intended for Use With Both CFC-12 and HFC-134a
        4. Standard for Recover-only Equipment That Extracts Class I or 
    Class II Refrigerants Other Than CFC-12
        C. Substantially Identical Equipment
        D. Approved Independent Testing Organizations
        E. Technician Training and Certification
        F. Sales Restrictions
    III. Summary of Supporting Analyses
        A. Executive Order 12866
        B. Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
        C. Paperwork Reduction Act
        D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
    
    I. Background
    
    A. Statutory Authority
    
        Title VI of the Act is designed to protect the stratospheric ozone 
    layer. Section 609 of the Act requires the Administrator to promulgate 
    regulations establishing standards and requirements regarding the 
    servicing of MVACs. Section 609 defines ``refrigerants'' to include, as 
    of November 14, 1995, any substance that substitutes for a class I or 
    class II substance used in an MVAC. The statute requires that as of 
    that date: Persons servicing an MVAC system for consideration must use 
    approved recover/recycling equipment. To be approved, equipment must be 
    certified by the Administrator, or by an independent standards testing 
    organization approved by the Administrator, or the equipment must be 
    substantially identical to such equipment if it was purchased prior to 
    the date EPA proposed standards applicable to the equipment. To be 
    certified, the equipment must meet standards established by the 
    Administrator, which shall be at least as stringent as Society of 
    Automotive Engineers (SAE) standard J1990. In addition, any such 
    servicing of an MVAC system for consideration must be performed by a 
    technician trained and certified according to standards established by 
    the Administrator. EPA also sets standards for certification and 
    training, and approves organizations to conduct such training if they 
    meet the Agency's standards. Finally, section 609 prohibits the sale of 
    small containers of class I or class II substances used in MVACs, 
    unless sold to section 609 certified technicians.
    
    B. July 14, 1992 Final Rule and May 2, 1995 Supplemental Final Rule
    
        On July 14, 1992, the Agency published a final rule initially 
    implementing section 609. In that rule, the Agency prohibited the 
    repair or servicing of any MVAC for consideration if such repair or 
    servicing involved the air conditioner refrigerant, unless performed by 
    a trained and certified technician who properly uses approved 
    refrigerant recycling 
    
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    equipment. The Agency also prohibited the sale or distribution of any 
    class I or class II substance suitable for use in an MVAC that is in a 
    container of less than 20 pounds to anyone other than a properly 
    trained and certified section 609 technician.
        The July 14, 1992 final rule defines ``approved refrigerant 
    recycling equipment'' as equipment that recovers and recycles CFC-12 
    refrigerant and that is certified by the Administrator or by an 
    independent standards testing organization approved by the Agency as 
    meeting the standards set forth in appendix A in the rule. Refrigerant 
    recycling equipment is also considered approved if it was purchased 
    before September 4, 1991, and is substantially identical to the 
    certified equipment. Only equipment certified as meeting the standards 
    or meeting the criteria for substantially identical equipment is 
    approved for use in the servicing of motor vehicle air conditioners 
    under section 609 of the Act.
        The July 14, 1992 rule also establishes standards by which (i) an 
    independent standards testing organization may apply to the Agency for 
    approval to test and approve refrigerant recycling equipment, and (ii) 
    a training and certification program may apply to the Agency for 
    approval to train and certify technicians in the proper use of 
    refrigerant recycling equipment for MVACs. Finally, the rule 
    establishes various recordkeeping and reporting requirements.
        Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and ETL Testing Laboratories (ETL) 
    are the approved independent standards testing organizations that 
    currently certify equipment using the standards that appear in appendix 
    A of the rule. These standards apply to recover/recycle equipment that 
    extracts CFC-12 refrigerant from a motor vehicle air conditioner and 
    cleans the refrigerant on-site. The regulatory standards are based on 
    those developed by SAE and cover service procedures for recovering CFC-
    12 (SAE J1989, issued in October 1989), test procedures to evaluate 
    recover/recycle equipment (SAE J1990 issued in October 1989 and revised 
    in 1991) and a purity standard for recycled CFC-12 refrigerant (SAE 
    J1991, issued in October 1989).
        As stated above, section 609 prohibits the sale or distribution of 
    any class I or class II substance suitable for use in an MVAC that is 
    in a container of less than 20 pounds to anyone other than a properly 
    trained and certified section 609 technician. It should be noted, 
    however, that EPA expanded this prohibition in the regulations 
    published on May 14, 1993 at 58 FR 28712 under section 608 of the Act 
    (40 CFR 82.154(n)), which prohibits the sale as of November 14, 1994 of 
    any size container of a class I or class II substance, including 
    refrigerant blends that include class I or class II substances, to 
    other than a section 608 or section 609 certified technician.
        The July 14, 1992 rule reserved standards for equipment that 
    extracts but does not recycle CFC-12 refrigerant (recover-only 
    equipment) in Appendix B to the rule. On May 2, 1995, EPA published a 
    final rule establishing regulatory standards, again based on those 
    developed by SAE, which apply to certification of recover-only 
    equipment. Specifically, for recover-only equipment, the Agency adopted 
    (i) the recommended service procedure for the containment of CFC-12 
    described in SAE J1989 and already set forth in appendix A, and (ii) a 
    standard that describes test procedures to evaluate recover-only 
    equipment that is based on SAE J2209 (issued in June, 1992).
    
    II. Today's Proposed Rule
    
        Today's proposed rule further implements section 609(b)(1) of the 
    Act. This section of the preamble reviews the major elements of the 
    proposal. Specifically, the proposed regulations would:
        (i) explicitly permit and establish standards for (a) section 609 
    certified technicians to recover refrigerant (whether CFC-12 or a 
    substitute) from motor vehicles bound for disposal (including vehicles 
    that contain MVAC-like appliances) and recycle that refrigerant in 
    their service facilities for use, and (b) owners or operators of 
    salvage yards, scrap recyclers, landfills or other facilities where 
    such vehicles may be located, to sell refrigerant recovered from such 
    vehicles (whether CFC-12 or a substitute) to section 609 certified 
    technicians without recycling the recovered refrigerant;
        (ii) revise the definition of ``properly using'' to explicitly 
    permit and establish standards for mobile recovery and recycling 
    service;
        (iii) establish a standard for approval of recover/recycle 
    equipment that extracts and recycles HFC-134a from MVACs;
        (iv) establish a standard for approval of recover-only equipment 
    that extracts HFC-134a from MVACs;
        (v) establish a standard for approval of recover-only equipment for 
    FRIGC TM, a class II-containing blend refrigerant that has been 
    listed as acceptable for use in MVACs under the Agency's Significant 
    New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program, and for other class I or class 
    II refrigerants used in MVACs other than CFC-12;
        (vi) establish a standard for approval of recover-recycle equipment 
    that extracts and recycles both CFC-12 and HFC-134a using a common 
    refrigerant circuit;
        (vii) revise the requirements for Agency approval of independent 
    standards testing organizations to include certification of recover/
    recycle and recover-only equipment designed to service HFC-134a and 
    FRIGC TM MVAC systems; and
        (viii) revise the criteria for approval of technician training and 
    certification programs to reflect the use of recover/recycle and 
    recover-only equipment designed to service HFC-134a, FRIGC TM, and 
    other class I or class II refrigerant MVAC systems.
        In addition, in this notice EPA describes its intention to 
    grandfather technicians currently certified under section 609, so that 
    they will not need to be recertified to operate recover/recycle and 
    recover-only equipment designed to service HFC-134a, FRIGC TM, and 
    other class I or class II refrigerant MVAC systems.
    
    A. Service Practices
    
        Today's proposed rule clarifies the Agency's position on two issues 
    that have not previously been explicitly addressed in the section 609 
    regulations: (i) Under what conditions it is permissible for a section 
    609 certified technician to recover refrigerant from motor vehicles 
    located at a motor vehicle disposal facility and bound for disposal, 
    and under what conditions it is permissible for the owner or operator 
    of a motor vehicle disposal facility to sell refrigerant recovered from 
    such vehicles to certified technicians; and (ii) under what conditions 
    it is permissible to conduct mobile recovery and recycling service, 
    i.e., service in which approved recover-only or recover/recycle 
    equipment is transported to the location of an MVAC for servicing by a 
    certified technician.
        The Agency intends that the same service practice regulations being 
    proposed today for MVACs will also be proposed for MVAC-like appliances 
    (such as tractors and other farm equipment, construction equipment, and 
    mining and quarry equipment, that meet the definition of MVAC-like 
    appliances set forth in 40 CFR 82.152(l)). Because MVAC-like appliances 
    are governed under section 608 of the Act rather than under section 
    609, service practice regulations similar to those being proposed today 
    will be proposed for MVAC-like appliances in a separate proposal to 
    amend section 608. 
    
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    The proposed changes to the section 608 regulations are intended for 
    publication on or about the date of publication of this section 609 
    proposed rule.
    1. The Handling of Refrigerant From Automobiles Bound for Disposal and 
    Located at Motor Vehicle Disposal Facilities
        Since the publication of the July 14, 1992 rule, EPA has received 
    an increasing number of questions concerning the handling of 
    refrigerants from MVACs and MVAC-like appliances bound for disposal and 
    located at motor vehicle disposal facilities. Many owners of motor 
    vehicle disposal facilities have assumed that recovered refrigerant 
    must be sent off-site for reclamation, while others have assumed that 
    they may sell the refrigerant to any interested parties. In response to 
    the increasing cost of CFC-12, some service technicians have begun to 
    recover refrigerant from motor vehicle disposal facilities for use in 
    their own service facilities. In addition, owners and operators of 
    motor vehicle disposal facilities have been recovering refrigerant from 
    automobiles and selling it to service technicians. The rule proposed 
    today would clarify that the Agency permits these activities as long as 
    certain requirements are met during the performance of the activities.
        The regulations adopted by EPA at 40 CFR part 82, subparts B and F 
    (i.e., the section 609 and 608 regulations) currently address to some 
    extent activities involving recovery and sale of refrigerant from MVACs 
    and MVAC-like appliances at motor vehicle disposal facilities. Section 
    82.156(g) requires that all persons recovering refrigerant from MVACs 
    and MVAC-like appliances for purposes of disposal must reduce the 
    pressure of the system to or below 102 mm of mercury vacuum, using 
    equipment that meets the requirements of Sec. 82.158(l). Section 
    82.154(f) requires that persons who recover refrigerant from MVACs and 
    MVAC-like appliances for purposes of disposal must certify to the 
    Administrator that they have acquired equipment that meets such 
    standards. In addition, persons who take the final step in the disposal 
    process must recover any remaining refrigerant in accordance with 
    applicable requirements. These provisions were adopted pursuant to 
    section 608 of the Act. Within the section 609 regulations, 
    Sec. 82.34(b) requires that small containers of class I or II 
    substances suitable for use in an MVAC may only be sold to certified 
    technicians. This applies to sales of class I or II substances 
    recovered from MVACs or MVAC-like appliances at motor vehicle disposal 
    facilities. Finally, any servicing of an MVAC or MVAC-like appliance 
    with refrigerant recovered from a motor vehicle disposal facility would 
    be subject to the various equipment and use restrictions in 40 CFR Part 
    82, subparts B and F.
        The regulations proposed today would supplement this regulatory 
    scheme with a set of requirements that provide an incentive for the 
    recovery and re-use of refrigerants from MVACs located at motor vehicle 
    disposal facilities, minimize the discharge of refrigerants, and 
    provide for the proper recycling or reclamation of the refrigerants 
    prior to their use in servicing MVACs or MVAC-like appliances. The 
    Agency intends that the regulations to be proposed shortly amending 
    section 608 of the Act will similarly provide an incentive for the 
    recovery and re-use of refrigerants from MVAC-like appliances located 
    at motor vehicle disposal facilities so that the refrigerants are 
    properly recycled or reclaimed prior to their use in servicing MVACs or 
    MVAC-like appliances.
        The Agency believes that recovery and recycling of refrigerant from 
    MVACs bound for disposal and located at motor vehicle disposal 
    facilities will be more economically attractive to the MVAC technician 
    and the motor vehicle disposal facility operator if the sale or reuse 
    of unreclaimed refrigerant is explicitly permitted. The MVAC technician 
    will derive higher profit by selling recycled refrigerant to an MVAC 
    service customer than by selling it to a reclaimer. Because of this 
    economic incentive, technicians will seek salvaged MVACs. In addition, 
    motor vehicle disposal facility owners and operators may profit by 
    selling refrigerant directly to technicians, or by charging technicians 
    fees for the opportunity to recover refrigerant at the facility, 
    creating other economic incentives in the refrigerant recycling chain. 
    The Agency believes that encouraging these activities will, by 
    increasing the value of refrigerant to the person recovering it, reduce 
    the amount of refrigerant that either leaks out of MVACs while they 
    await disposal, or is purposely vented during the process of disposal.
        Today's proposed rule would revise the definition of ``properly 
    using'' located at Sec. 82.32(e), add a definition of ``motor vehicle 
    disposal facility'' at Sec. 82.32(i), and add a new Sec. 82.34(d). The 
    effect of these changes is that upon the recovery of refrigerant from 
    MVACs bound for disposal and located at motor vehicle disposal 
    facilities, a person recovering the refrigerant, whether a certified 
    technician or motor vehicle disposal facility owner, operator, or 
    employee, would be able to transfer the refrigerant off-site for 
    recycling or reclamation in accordance with the conditions described 
    below.
        The conditions described below in section (a) propose who may 
    recover refrigerant from a motor vehicle disposal facility, and what 
    kind of equipment should be used to recover refrigerant. Section (b) 
    proposes who may purchase refrigerant recovered from a motor vehicle 
    disposal facility, and section (c) proposes how refrigerant recovered 
    by the persons described in (a) or (b) should be processed prior to 
    reuse. Section (d) discusses recordkeeping and reporting requirements. 
    Section (e) provides a general discussion of minimizing contamination 
    of refrigerant from motor vehicle disposal facilities and requests 
    comment on certain issues relating to the proposals described herein.
        a. Recovery of refrigerant from MVACs at motor vehicle disposal 
    facilities. The proposed restriction set forth in Sec. 82.32(e)(3) 
    states that equipment capable of reducing system pressure to or below 
    102 mm of mercury vacuum must be used to recover the refrigerant. This 
    proposal simply references a provision previously adopted under section 
    608. It is repeated here for purposes of clarification only.
        The proposal would also require in Sec. 82.34(d) that any person 
    recovering refrigerant from MVACs at a motor vehicle disposal facility 
    who is not employed at or by the facility, or who is not the owner or 
    operator of the facility, be a section 608 or section 609 certified 
    technician. With respect to class I and class II substances, sections 
    608(a) and (b) authorize the restriction on who may recover 
    refrigerant. Under section 608, the Administrator may prescribe 
    standards and equipment regarding the use and disposal of class I or II 
    substances, in order to reduce the use and emissions of these 
    substances to the lowest achievable level, and to maximize the 
    recapture and recycling of these substances. The Administrator also may 
    establish standards and requirements regarding the safe disposal of 
    these substances.
        Although sections 608(a) and (b) authorize the restriction on who 
    may recover refrigerant from a motor vehicle disposal facility with 
    respect to class I or II substances, these sections do not directly 
    require regulation of the use of substitute refrigerants that are not 
    class I or class II substances. Section 608(c)(2), however, does 
    prohibit the 
    
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    knowing \1\ venting or release of such substitutes during the 
    maintenance, repair, service or disposal of an appliance where the 
    refrigerant may enter the environment, unless the Administrator has 
    determined that such venting, release, or disposal does not pose a 
    threat to the environment. De minimis releases associated with good 
    faith efforts to recapture and recycle or safely dispose of the 
    refrigerant are not subject to this prohibition. Releases associated 
    with recovery that does not comply with the regulations would not be 
    considered de minimus. This venting prohibition is self-effectuating, 
    and went into effect on November 15, 1995 with respect to substitutes 
    for class I or class II substances. In today's rulemaking, EPA is 
    proposing to define the kind of recovery and recycling practices that 
    must be followed in order to avoid violating the prohibition on venting 
    substitutes for class I or class II refrigerants. The requirement that 
    only a section 608 or section 609 certified technician or an owner, 
    operator, or employee of a motor vehicle disposal facility extract the 
    substitute refrigerant from an MVAC at a motor vehicle disposal 
    facility is a reasonable exercise of this authority, because extraction 
    is an intentional activity, and any release associated with it would be 
    considered a knowing release. In addition, it is reasonable to presume 
    there will be a release associated with extraction, unless the person 
    can show that in fact there was no such release. EPA is therefore 
    proposing that it be a prohibited act to extract substitute refrigerant 
    from MVACs at motor vehicle disposal facilities without meeting the 
    requirements described in this proposal. A showing that there was no 
    release would serve as an affirmative defense to this prohibition.
    
        \1\ EPA interprets the term ``knowing'' as used in section 
    608(c)(1) to mean a general intent, and not a specific intent to 
    release or vent the refrigerant.
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        The proposed restriction on who may recover refrigerant serves to 
    prohibit from recovering refrigerant at motor vehicle disposal 
    facilities persons who are not certified under the Act to handle 
    refrigerants, unless they are owners, operators or employees of the 
    facilities. Because these persons have not been trained in the proper 
    methods of recovering refrigerant from an MVAC system, they are more 
    likely to vent refrigerant in the process of extracting it, and are 
    less likely to know how to protect the purity of the refrigerant. 
    Allowing these persons to recover class I and class II refrigerants at 
    motor vehicle disposal facilities would not be consistent with the 
    Agency's mandate to establish requirements that would maximize the 
    recapture and recycling of class I and class II refrigerants. Allowing 
    them to recover substitute refrigerants would not be consistent with 
    the section 608(c) venting prohibition.
        The Act currently permits owners, operators and employees of motor 
    vehicle disposal facilities to recover refrigerants from MVACs located 
    at the facilities even though they may not be certified and therefore 
    trained in the proper handling of these refrigerants. The Agency 
    intends to continue to permit this activity. Under this proposed 
    rulemaking, refrigerant handled by these persons must be transferred 
    either to a reclaimer, or to a 608 technician, who in turn sells it to 
    a reclaimer, or to a 609 technician, who recycles the refrigerant. In 
    all of these instances, because the refrigerant is either recycled or 
    reclaimed, the purity of that refrigerant should be protected. In 
    addition, many owners, operators and employees of these facilities may 
    have already invested in equipment that they use to recover 
    refrigerant, and may currently have in place contracts to sell the 
    refrigerant extracted from MVACs at the facilities. If the Agency had 
    decided instead to begin to prohibit owners, operators and employees of 
    motor vehicle disposal facilities from recovering refrigerant (so that 
    only certified technicians could recover refrigerant), these persons 
    might be unable to use any equipment they had already purchased, and in 
    violation of contracts previously entered into. In order to assure that 
    motor vehicle disposal facility owners and operators maximize the 
    recapture of class I and class II refrigerants as required by section 
    608(a) of the Act, and refrain from venting substitute refrigerants as 
    required by section 608(c) of the Act, the Agency has traditionally 
    relied on a combination of providing the industry with informational 
    guidance and requiring the industry to meet regulatory mandates. Rather 
    than requiring that owners and operators of motor vehicle disposal 
    facilities become certified technicians, the Agency proposes to 
    continue to publish guidance alerting the industry of the environmental 
    consequences of releasing refrigerant, refrigerant salvage techniques, 
    and the importance of not mixing different refrigerants.
        b. Restriction on sale of recovered refrigerant. The proposal 
    includes a restriction set forth at Sec. 82.34(d) on who may purchase 
    refrigerant recovered from a motor vehicle disposal facility. For class 
    I and II substances recovered from MVACs, sections 608 and 609 
    authorize the proposed sales restriction. While section 609 is limited 
    to restricting the sale of class I or II substances in small containers 
    for use in MVACs, section 608 authorizes a broader sales restriction. 
    The sales restriction provision proposed today for inclusion in 
    Sec. 82.34(d) basically repeats the sales restrictions previously 
    promulgated at Secs. 82.34(b) and 82.154(n). This proposal makes clear 
    that the restriction applies with respect to class I or II substances 
    recovered from MVACs during the disposal process.
        The current sales restriction in section 609(e) does not extend to 
    substitute refrigerants that are neither class I nor class II 
    substances. EPA is currently developing a proposal addressing the use 
    of substitutes under section 608, and is considering extending the 
    sales restriction to such substitutes. EPA will address the sale of 
    substitutes recovered from MVACs during the disposal process in that 
    rulemaking. Section F of this preamble provides additional discussion 
    with respect to restrictions on the sales of motor vehicle 
    refrigerants.
        c. Subsequent use of recovered refrigerant. Section 82.32(e) of the 
    regulatory text proposed today would require that certified technicians 
    process refrigerant recovered from a motor vehicle disposal facility 
    through section 609 approved recycling equipment before it could be 
    used to charge or recharge an MVAC. (In the concomitant proposed 
    amendments to section 608 of the Act, EPA intends to propose similar 
    requirements for refrigerant that is used to charge an MVAC-like 
    appliance.) The only exception to this recycling requirement would be 
    where the recovered refrigerant has been reclaimed to the appropriate 
    level of purity. Section 609 authorizes this restriction with respect 
    to MVACs, both for class I and class II substances as well as 
    substitutes. A certified technician purchasing or accepting refrigerant 
    from MVACs bound for disposal and located at a motor vehicle disposal 
    facility is responsible to assure that the refrigerant is recycled 
    properly prior to being charged into another MVAC or MVAC-like 
    appliance and should not rely on assurances from the disposal facility 
    that the refrigerant has been recycled.
        Further, if refrigerant recovered from a motor vehicle disposal 
    facility is to be recycled in section 609 approved refrigerant 
    recycling equipment prior to reuse, the refrigerant may subsequently be 
    charged only into an MVAC or an MVAC-like appliance. This proposal 
    essentially references the requirement previously adopted in 40 CFR 
    82.154(g) and (h) that refrigerant recovered from 
    
    [[Page 9018]]
    a 608 appliance that is to be charged into any type of appliance other 
    than an MVAC or MVAC-like appliance must first be reclaimed. It is 
    repeated here for purposes of clarification only.
        d. Recordkeeping and reporting. Today's proposed rule does not 
    require any additional recordkeeping relating to refrigerant recovered 
    from MVACs prior to disposal. Requiring disposal facilities to track 
    refrigerant, and to demonstrate how the refrigerant in each MVAC was 
    handled prior to the disposal of the vehicle, would inhibit the 
    activity EPA is encouraging in today's rule. Further, a recordkeeping 
    requirement would add an undue administrative burden to industry 
    because of the large number of vehicles disposed of annually, and would 
    provide no additional benefit to the environment.
        e. Minimizing contamination/requests for comment. The Agency is 
    concerned that the purity of the supply of each automotive refrigerant 
    be maintained. Although motor vehicle air conditioning has long been 
    dominated by CFC-12, automotive manufacturers now install HFC-134a in 
    new car systems, while some refrigerant manufacturers are attempting to 
    establish large markets for other CFC-12 substitutes in vehicles. This 
    proliferation of refrigerants in the section 609 sector increases the 
    chances of contamination in individual systems. Contaminated 
    refrigerant supplies may create MVAC system failures as well as 
    failures of refrigerant recover/recycle equipment, leading to emissions 
    of refrigerants and to increased costs for both service facilities and 
    motor vehicle owners. In addition, contaminated refrigerant may be 
    extremely difficult to recycle, reclaim, or dispose of, so that it is 
    likely to be vented into the atmosphere.
        i. Contaminated MVAC systems entering the disposal facility. 
    Refrigerant recovered from MVACs bound for disposal at motor vehicle 
    disposal facilities may of course be contaminated by refrigerants not 
    approved for motor vehicle use, such as HCFC-22 or blends containing 
    hydrocarbons. The Agency believes that permitting the recovery and 
    recycling/reclamation of refrigerant from these MVACs will not 
    significantly increase the possibility of contamination of the 
    automotive refrigerant supply, for two reasons. First, nearly all MVACs 
    currently being disposed of use only CFC-12. Second, MVACs using any 
    other refrigerants are required by EPA to have unique fittings and a 
    label stating the type of refrigerant used in the air-conditioning 
    system. EPA strongly recommends, but is not requiring, that the person 
    recovering the refrigerant at the facility identify the type of 
    refrigerant prior to recovery, using refrigerant identifier equipment. 
    EPA believes that the proper recovery and recycling/reclamation of 
    refrigerant from vehicles located at disposal facilities, as described 
    in this proposal, should serve to minimize the possibility of 
    contaminated refrigerant supplies from disposal facilities.
        ii. Improper practices at disposal facilities which would result in 
    mixing or contamination of refrigerants. In order to minimize the 
    chances of mixed refrigerants coming from motor vehicle disposal 
    facilities, it may be necessary to require that persons recovering 
    refrigerant at the facilities change the type of equipment that they 
    now use. Current regulations in 82.158(l) provide that any person 
    recovering refrigerant from an MVAC at a disposal facility must use 
    equipment capable of reducing the system pressure to 102 mm (about 4 
    inches) of mercury vacuum. Although the Agency is today proposing to 
    continue to permit persons recovering refrigerant from MVACs at 
    disposal facilities to do so, the Agency is concerned that these 
    persons may not properly purge or clear the recovery equipment prior to 
    extracting another type of refrigerant with that equipment, or that 
    they may not otherwise take the correct precautions to ensure that only 
    one type of refrigerant is recovered into a container. Depending on the 
    design of the equipment, significant quantities of refrigerant may be 
    left behind in the condenser of the equipment after the recovery or 
    recycling process is complete. This issue was discussed at length in 
    the proposal and final rule for the original section 608 regulations. 
    Parties interested in this issue should review the discussion of it in 
    the final 608 regulations at 58 FR 28681-682.
        EPA is consequently interested in receiving comments from the 
    public as to whether the current requirement should be changed to 
    satisfy this concern. Specifically, EPA would like to receive comments 
    addressing whether EPA should require that persons recovering 
    refrigerant must instead use (i) only equipment that meets the 
    definition of ``approved refrigerant recycling equipment'' set forth in 
    Sec. 82.32(b) (i.e., equipment approved under section 609), (ii) only 
    equipment that meets the definition of ``certified refrigerant recovery 
    or recycling equipment'' set forth in Sec. 82.152(c) (i.e., equipment 
    approved under section 608), or (iii) equipment that meets either the 
    definition set forth in Sec. 82.32(b) or the definition set forth in 
    Sec. 82.152(c). Equipment approved under section 609 is generally 
    dedicated to recovering and/or recycling a single refrigerant, with the 
    exception of certain equipment designed for recycling both CFC-12 and 
    HFC-134a which uses either two separate circuits or common circuitry. 
    The Agency is not aware of any equipment approved under section 609 
    that recovers but does not recycle multiple refrigerants. Equipment 
    approved under section 608 is generally designed for use with multiple 
    refrigerants but uses a common circuit. Refrigerant from section 608 
    appliances must either be returned to the same system or reclaimed. For 
    both section 608 and section 609 approved equipment that handles 
    multiple refrigerants using common circuitry, certain equipment 
    features are designed to prevent cross contamination. In addition, 
    technicians are instructed on how to clear the equipment of residual 
    refrigerant between jobs.
        In order to minimize the chances of contaminated refrigerants 
    coming from motor vehicle disposal facilities, it may be necessary to 
    limit sales of refrigerant by owners, operators and employees of these 
    facilities to section 608 certified technicians only. Section 609 
    certified technicians, rather than purchasing refrigerant from the 
    facility owners, would have to recover the refrigerant themselves. 
    Although the Agency does not wish to impose requirements on the 
    disposal industry that would discourage recovery of refrigerants to 
    such an extent that the requirements defeat the goals of Title VI of 
    the Act, the Agency is particularly concerned that facilities that 
    dismantle both refrigerators, residential air conditioners and other 
    section 608 appliances, and motor vehicles, may engage in the practice 
    of recovering from section 608 appliances refrigerant that is high in 
    acid levels due to compressor burn-out, and then selling that 
    refrigerant to a section 609 certified technician for use in an MVAC or 
    MVAC-like appliance. Efforts to identify the refrigerant would not show 
    that the refrigerant was contaminated by these acids. Sources such as 
    residential air conditioners and refrigerators are much more likely to 
    have ceased operation because of compressor burn-out, a condition which 
    may be remedied through reclamation to the ARI 700 standard achieved in 
    reclamation but not through recycling in section 609 approved 
    refrigerant recycling equipment. The Agency is interested in receiving 
    comments on this issue.
    2. Mobile Recovery and Recycling
        EPA has in the past not permitted a technician to transport his 
    approved refrigerant recycling equipment off-site to perform air 
    conditioning service for 
    
    [[Page 9019]]
    an automobile body shop, service station, dealership or other facility 
    that services MVACs or MVAC-like appliances, although the technician 
    has been permitted to take the approved equipment to a facility where 
    such servicing is generally not performed for consideration, such as a 
    farm or personal residence. While this off-site, or mobile, service 
    policy was directly addressed in an Applicability Determination dated 
    July 22, 1994, and later addressed in a September 22, 1994 
    clarification of that Applicability Determination, the policy was not 
    directly addressed in the original rule.
        The original rule does require, however, that refrigerant may only 
    be recycled off-site if the refrigerant is first extracted from an MVAC 
    using recover-only equipment, and is then recycled off-site using 
    equipment owned by the person who owns both the recover-only equipment 
    and the establishment at which the refrigerant is extracted. In all 
    other instances, refrigerant removed from the location where it is 
    extracted has to be reclaimed to ARI 700 standards to assure purity. 
    EPA believes that this requirement minimizes prospects of contamination 
    of MVACs.
        This on-site/off-site distinction discussed in the original rule, 
    however, may be distinguished from the mobile service discussed in 
    today's proposal. EPA required the on-site/off-site distinction because 
    of its concern that refrigerant from non-MVAC air conditioning or 
    refrigeration systems might contaminate MVAC systems and recycling 
    equipment, particularly since MVAC recycling equipment is not designed 
    to remove contaminants from non-MVAC systems. In contrast, the mobile 
    service discussed in today's proposal would not increase the risk of 
    contamination from non-MVAC sources, because EPA is limiting the mobile 
    service to MVACs where the refrigerant must still be recycled on-site 
    to the appropriate section 609 standard prior to reuse in another MVAC 
    or in an MVAC-like appliance.
        The goal of EPA's past prohibition on transportation of equipment 
    off-site to perform air-conditioning service was to enhance compliance 
    by encouraging MVAC service facilities to obtain their own approved 
    equipment and to have their employees certified under section 609. EPA 
    has based its interpretation that the 609 regulations preclude such 
    mobile recovery and recycling for MVACs on the certification provision 
    at Sec. 82.42(a)(1). In the Applicability Determination dated July 22, 
    1994, EPA stated that since the certification form specifies the 
    address of the establishment where the equipment will be located, the 
    equipment may therefore not be moved from the address where the service 
    is performed. The Agency also stated in the Determination that while 
    current regulations allow MVACs to be transported to a facility where 
    approved equipment is located and serviced there, that facility may not 
    transport the equipment to a second facility where such equipment is 
    not located, and service the MVAC at the second facility.
        EPA is proposing to change these provisions and allow an expanded 
    use of mobile recovery and recycle units. EPA intends to publish an 
    amendment to section 608 of the Act proposing that the same activity be 
    explicitly permitted with respect to the mobile servicing of MVAC-like 
    appliances. EPA believes that the mobile service policy has failed to 
    encourage MVAC service facilities to obtain their own approved 
    equipment or to have their employees certified under section 609. 
    Consequently, today's rulemaking proposes to explicitly permit mobile 
    servicing of MVACs. In its reconsideration, EPA determined that 
    allowing mobile service performed by certified technicians using 
    approved equipment encourages proper use of the equipment and 
    discourages venting of refrigerant. This policy also increases the 
    flexibility of industry to choose the mode of compliance by allowing 
    businesses that do not specialize in MVAC service to contract their 
    MVAC services that involve refrigerant to a section 609 certified 
    technician. The definition of ``properly using'' set forth in 
    Sec. 82.32(e) would consequently be amended to explicitly permit this 
    activity. This proposed provision would apply to servicing both CFC-12 
    and any substitutes for CFC-12 in MVACs. An MVAC service facility 
    engaging a mobile technician would be responsible to ensure that the 
    technician is properly certified. The technician's showing the facility 
    his section 609 certification card should provide a sufficient 
    demonstration to the facility that he is properly certified. The Agency 
    is interested in receiving comments with respect to whether the MVAC 
    service facility engaging the technician should be responsible to 
    ensure that the technician is using section 609 approved recycling 
    equipment.
        The definition of ``properly using'' in section 609(b) provides the 
    Administrator discretion to include the use of mobile recovery and 
    recycling. The certification provision in section 609(d) requires that 
    persons who perform service on MVACs for consideration must acquire and 
    properly use approved equipment for servicing involving refrigerant. 
    Where mobile recovery is involved, the person with the service facility 
    has not acquired approved equipment, but the person who actually 
    performs the service under the proposed provision would be a certified 
    technician using approved equipment acquired by that technician or 
    their employer. EPA believes it is a reasonable interpretation of 
    section 609(d) to allow the use of mobile recovery and recycling under 
    these circumstances, as the text of section 609(d) can be interpreted 
    to include this and it will further the purposes of this section by 
    promoting the proper use of approved equipment and reducing the amount 
    of improper servicing or discharge.
    
    B. Standards for Recover/Recycle Equipment
    
        Section 609 of the Act authorizes the Agency to establish standards 
    for the equipment used in recovering and recycling MVAC refrigerant. 
    Section 82.36(a) of the regulations specifies that equipment that 
    recovers and recycles CFC-12 refrigerant must meet the standards set 
    forth in appendix A. Equipment that only recovers CFC-12 to be 
    reclaimed or recycled by separate equipment must meet the standards set 
    forth in appendix B. Today's rulemaking adds standards for HFC-134a 
    recover/recycle equipment, HFC-134a recover-only equipment, service 
    procedures for HFC-134a containment, purity of recycled HFC-134a, 
    equipment intended for use with both CFC-12 and HFC-134a, and recover-
    only equipment designed to be used with FRIGCTM or other class I 
    and/or class II refrigerants other than CFC-12.
        These standards, proposed today as appendix C, D, E and F to the 
    regulations promulgated under section 609, represent a consensus of the 
    Interior Climate Control Committee of SAE. This committee is made up of 
    automotive industry experts, equipment and supply manufacturers, and 
    chemical producers. SAE issued the standards (SAE J1990, J1991, J1989) 
    later adopted by EPA in appendix A and the Agency believes that the 
    standards set forth in today's rulemaking as appendices C, D, E, and F 
    are consistent with the specifications required in those standards for 
    recovery, recycling, refrigerant purity, and service procedures.
        The Agency believes that the standards are appropriate for recovery 
    and recycling because they achieve environmental protection through 
    recycling and containment of refrigerant, and protect automobile 
    equipment through minimum refrigerant purity standards and service 
    
    [[Page 9020]]
    procedure standards. The standards being proposed are based on SAE 
    J2099 (Standard of Purity for Recycled HFC-134a), SAE J2211 
    (Recommended Service Procedure for the Containment of HFC-134a), SAE 
    J2210 (Standard for HFC-134a Recycling Equipment), SAE J1732 (HFC-134a 
    Extraction Equipment for Mobile Air Conditioning Systems) and SAE J1770 
    (Standard for Recycling Equipment Intended for Use with Both CFC-12 and 
    HFC-134a).
        Appendix F, Standard for Recover-only Equipment that Extracts Class 
    I or Class II Refrigerants Other Than CFC-12, is based on SAE J2209 
    (CFC-12 Extraction Equipment for Mobile Air Conditioning Systems). 
    Since SAE is not at this time developing a standard specifically for 
    FRIGCTM or any other class I or class II refrigerant other than 
    CFC-12, the Agency developed a standard in cooperation with SAE and 
    other industry representatives. Equipment that is certified by an 
    approved testing organization to meet these SAE standards prior to the 
    proposed standards in this rule becoming final will be considered EPA-
    approved equipment.
        Under section 609 of the Act, standards developed by the 
    Administrator for approved refrigerant recycling equipment shall, at a 
    minimum, be as stringent as SAE J1990 in effect as of November 15, 
    1990. The standards proposed today as appendices C, D, E and F are as 
    stringent as SAE J1990 regarding the equipment standards for 
    refrigerant purification, equipment testing, and equipment operation 
    and performance. The proposed standards are nearly identical to the SAE 
    J1990 standard, with the exception that the standards proposed today 
    are more stringent than J1990, in that they specify a higher minimum 
    vacuum requirement of 102 mm of mercury, compared to the general 
    requirement in J1990 that refrigerant extraction be performed ``to a 
    vacuum.'' This will help prevent any refrigerant from being vented by 
    ensuring that all refrigerant has been removed from an MVAC system 
    prior to opening it to the atmosphere. Among the provisions contained 
    in the appendices proposed today that are as stringent as those in 
    J1990 are the following: The moisture, acid and particulate removal and 
    non-condensable gas purging requirements of the proposed standards; the 
    requirements for operating instructions and safety requirements; the 
    requirements for overfill, pressure relief, portable tanks and 
    containers, hoses, and lubricant separation; and the testing 
    requirements that verify that the equipment operates properly.
        The Act also requires that standards establishing proper service 
    procedures shall, at a minimum, be as stringent as SAE J1989 in effect 
    as of November 15, 1990. The standards proposed today are equally as 
    stringent as the SAE J1989 regarding the recovery, recycling and other 
    handling of refrigerant associated with the servicing of MVACs. The 
    proposed standards are nearly identical to the SAE J1989 standards. SAE 
    J1989 required that the recovery equipment be operated until the 
    pressure be reduced ``to a vacuum''. The proposed standard specifies a 
    vacuum of 102 mm of mercury. The standards provide pressure and 
    temperature tables to provide for safe handling of refrigerant storage 
    containers. The tables are as a stringent as the requirements of J1990.
    1. Standards for HFC-134a Recover/Recycle Equipment
        Today's proposed rule adopts a standard for HFC-134a recycling 
    equipment for mobile air-conditioning. This standard establishes 
    specific minimum equipment requirements for the recycling of HFC-134a 
    that has been directly removed from, and is intended for reuse in, 
    mobile air-conditioning systems.
        Today's proposed rule requires that the recycling equipment meet 
    the standards set forth in appendix C to this rule. The standard 
    contains specifications for labeling the recovery equipment once it is 
    certified, safety requirements, operating instruction and a functional 
    description of the equipment, including hose and fitting specification, 
    overfill protection requirements and storage tank requirements. The 
    standard provides a procedure to test the equipment to verify that it 
    meets the specifications of the standard.
        Today's rule adds a standard for purity for recycled HFC-134a that 
    establishes the minimum level of purity required for recycled HFC-134a 
    removed from, and intended for reuse in, mobile air-conditioning 
    systems. The standard sets purity specifications for levels of 
    moisture, lubricant and noncondensable gases, and is set forth in 
    appendix C to this rule.
        Today's rule also proposes a standard recommended service procedure 
    for containment of HFC-134a, set forth in appendix C, that provides 
    guidelines for the technicians that service MVACs and operate 
    refrigerant recycling equipment designed for HFC-134a. The proposed 
    standard provides specific procedures to recover the refrigerant by 
    reducing system pressure to at least 102 mm of mercury vacuum. The 
    standard contains requirements for stored refrigerant containers and 
    disposal of empty containers.
        The standard set forth in appendix C is nearly identical to the SAE 
    J2210 standard issued by SAE December 1992. The differences between SAE 
    J2210 and appendix C are incidental, such as grammatical corrections 
    and spelling, and do not affect the requirements of the standard.
    2. Standard for HFC-134a Recover-Only Equipment
        Today's proposed rule adds standards for equipment that recovers 
    refrigerant but does not recycle the refrigerant by removing 
    impurities. Refrigerant recovered by this type of equipment must be 
    properly recycled on-site or reclaimed off-site before it can be reused 
    in an MVAC. The proposed rule requires that equipment meets the 
    standards set forth in appendix D to this rule. The standard requires 
    that the container for used refrigerant be marked in black print 
    ``Dirty Refrigerant--Do Not Use Without Recycling.'' The standard 
    states that the recovery equipment be able to separate the refrigerant 
    from the recovered refrigerant and indicate the amount of lubricant 
    removed so that the technician can return the proper amount of 
    lubricant to the system.
        The standard set forth in appendix D is nearly identical to the SAE 
    J1732 standard issued by SAE in December 1994. The differences between 
    SAE J1732 and appendix D are incidental, such as grammatical and 
    spelling, corrections and do not affect the requirements of the 
    standard.
    3. Standard for Automotive Refrigerant Recycling Equipment Intended for 
    Use With Both CFC-12 and HFC-134a
        Today's proposed rule adds a standard that establishes specific 
    minimum equipment requirements for automotive refrigerant recycling 
    equipment intended for use with both CFC-12 and HFC-134a in a common 
    refrigerant circuit. The proposed rule requires that equipment meets 
    the standards set forth in appendix E to this rule. The proposed 
    standard in appendix E requires labeling of the equipment after 
    certification, and includes requirements to prevent cross contamination 
    before operations involving a different refrigerant can begin. These 
    requirements include interlocks and indications to prevent cross 
    contamination. The standard contains requirements to purify the 
    refrigerant, safety requirements and functional description of the 
    equipment, requirements for labeling of the storage tanks to identify 
    CFC-12 and HFC-
    
    [[Page 9021]]
    134a, and hose and connection requirements. Today's proposed standard 
    also provides guidelines for testing the equipment to verify that it 
    meets the requirements of the standard.
        The standard set forth in appendix E is nearly identical to the SAE 
    J1770 standard issued by SAE in December, 1995. The differences between 
    SAE J1770 and appendix E are incidental, such as grammatical and 
    spelling corrections, and do not affect the requirements of the 
    standard.
    4. Standard for Recover-Only Equipment That Extracts Class I or Class 
    II Refrigerants Other Than CFC-12
        Today's proposed rule adds standards for equipment that recovers 
    but does not recycle refrigerants other than CFC-12 and HFC-134a. The 
    refrigerant that is recovered by this type of equipment must be 
    properly reclaimed before it can be reused in an MVAC. The proposed 
    rule requires that equipment meets the standards set forth in appendix 
    F. Appendix F is based on the recover-only standard for CFC-12. The 
    standard states that the recovery equipment be able to separate the 
    lubricant from the recovered refrigerant and indicate the amount of 
    lubricant removed so that the technician can return the proper amount 
    of lubricant to the system.
    
    C. Substantially Identical Equipment
    
        Section 609 of the Act provides that equipment purchased before the 
    proposal of standards shall be considered certified if it is 
    substantially identical to equipment certified by the EPA or by an 
    independent standards testing organization approved by EPA. Section 
    82.36(b) of the regulations states that recover/recycle equipment 
    designed for use with CFC-12 and purchased before the proposal of the 
    standards for refrigerant recycling equipment in appendix A (i.e., 
    before September 4, 1991) shall be considered certified if it is 
    ``substantially identical'' to equipment approved under Sec. 82.36(a).
        Today's proposal would apply the Act's ``substantially identical'' 
    provision to recover/recycle and recover-only equipment that services 
    HFC-134a MVACs, recover/recycle equipment intended for use with both 
    CFC-12 and HFC-134a MVACs, and equipment that recovers but does not 
    recycle class I and class II refrigerants other than CFC-12. These 
    types of equipment will be considered approved if they are 
    substantially identical to equipment approved under Sec. 82.36(a) and 
    if they were purchased prior to the date of today's proposal. A 
    manufacturer or owner may request a determination from EPA on the point 
    of whether a particular model is substantially identical.
        The Agency's views on implementation of the ``substantially 
    identical'' provision are discussed in some detail in the September 4, 
    1991 Notice. EPA considers equipment to be substantially identical if 
    it performs equivalently to the equipment that is certified to meet all 
    the approved equipment standards but was purchased prior to the date of 
    publication of the appropriate EPA proposed standard. In general, EPA 
    proposes to follow the same strict approach in implementing the 
    substantially identical provision for the equipment subject to the 
    standards proposed today as for recover/recycle and recover-only 
    equipment that services CFC-12 MVACs. EPA is aware of some cases in 
    which equipment purchased before the publication of the proposal to 
    today's rule was produced by manufacturers that have not yet received a 
    certification on any model or by manufacturers that no longer make 
    equipment. In situations where equipment was purchased without 
    certification and no model by that manufacturer achieves certification, 
    EPA will evaluate the equipment on a model-by-model basis before making 
    a substantially identical determination. Owners of the equipment, if 
    they cannot contact manufacturers to determine the status of equipment, 
    may submit process flowsheets and lists of components to EPA. EPA 
    reserves the right to inspect the equipment and request samples of 
    refrigerant if necessary. The address for submittal of information is: 
    MVACs Recycling Program Manager, Stratospheric Protection Division, 
    (6205J), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, S.W., 
    Washington, D.C. 20460, Attention: Substantially Identical Equipment 
    Review. EPA will maintain a strict interpretation of the substantially 
    identical clause in order to protect the air-conditioning units and the 
    integrity of the recycling program. As a result, the Agency does not 
    anticipate that many types of equipment subject to the standards 
    proposed today will qualify as substantially identical through this 
    evaluation procedure.
        The Agency is aware that some HFC-134a recover-only equipment has 
    been sold prior to SAE's issuance of the J1732 standard for HFC-134a 
    recover-only equipment in December, 1994 and that some dual refrigerant 
    recycling equipment has been sold prior to SAE's issuance of the J1770 
    standard for equipment that recovers both CFC-12 and HFC-134a in 
    December, 1995. Because no SAE standard was in place at the time of 
    sale, the equipment could not be certified for EPA approval by UL or 
    ETL. In such an event, i.e., where units are sold prior to the 
    publication of the appropriate SAE standard, so that there is no 
    sticker or plate on the unit showing that the model has been tested by 
    UL or ETL to meet the appropriate SAE standard, and later, after 
    publication of the standard, units of the same model are certified by 
    UL or ETL, the Agency is considering treating the units sold prior to 
    the publication of the standard to be substantially identical. The 
    Agency reserves the right, however, to terminate such treatment of 
    earlier units in the event the Agency receives evidence that some 
    earlier units of that model (e.g., prior to serial number xxxxx) were 
    not able to achieve one or more of the provisions of the appropriate 
    SAE standard. In that instance, the manufacturer will have to 
    demonstrate to EPA that the units in question are substantially 
    identical before EPA would make a determination to that effect. The 
    Agency recognizes that manufacturers of units sold prior to the 
    publication of the appropriate SAE standard may consider developing 
    retrofit kits to bring pre-certification units up to the performance 
    standard of certified units.
        It should be noted that some dual refrigerant recycling equipment 
    sold prior to SAE's issuance of the J1770 standard for equipment that 
    recovers both CFC-12 and HFC-134a in December, 1995, may be labeled 
    with a UL or ETL sticker that indicates that the unit meets SAE J-1990 
    and J-2210. The Agency does not consider that these units necessarily 
    meet the J1770 standard. In the event that later versions of the same 
    model of equipment become certified by UL or ETL to meet the J1770 
    standard, then, as discussed above, the Agency is considering treating 
    the units sold prior to the publication of the standard to be 
    substantially identical, although EPA reserves the right to terminate 
    this determination as noted above.
        The Agency is aware of several models of automotive refrigerant 
    recycling equipment intended for use with both CFC-12 and HFC-134a 
    where units have been sold prior to the publication of SAE standard 
    J1770. These models are the SPX/Robinair model numbers 12134A and 
    17800A, the White Industries model number 01234a, and the American 
    Thermoflo model number 18000. After reviewing the equipment 
    specifications and performance for each of these models, the Agency 
    proposes to determine that they are substantially identical to 
    equipment EPA would approve 
    
    [[Page 9022]]
    according to the standards set forth in this proposal.
    
    D. Approved Independent Testing Organizations
    
        Section 82.38 establishes the criteria for approval of testing 
    laboratories or organizations to certify whether equipment governed by 
    the regulations meets the standards set forth in the regulations. Under 
    the July 14, 1992 final rule and the May 2, 1995 supplemental final 
    rule, approved organizations would determine whether recover/recycle 
    and recover-only equipment meets the standards set forth in the 
    appendices to the rule, which were based on SAE standards. Today's 
    rulemaking will expand that provision so that these approved 
    organizations will be able to determine whether the equipment subject 
    to today's proposal meets the standards set forth in the appropriate 
    appendices.
        Because the application materials received by the Agency from UL on 
    October 21, 1991, and from ETL on November 27, 1991 demonstrate that 
    both organizations have met the criteria set forth in Sec. 82.38(b) 
    with respect to all equipment subject to today's proposal, and because 
    the Agency has received written requests from both UL and ETL stating 
    that all the application criteria are still being met and requesting 
    that they be approved to certify the equipment subject to today's 
    proposal, the Agency intends to approve UL and ETL to certify this 
    equipment, effective as of the effective date of this final rulemaking.
        EPA encourages applications from other facilities that are capable 
    of testing equipment to the necessary standards. Organizations must 
    demonstrate that they have the experience and the appropriate equipment 
    to perform testing. The EPA will maintain a list of approved 
    independent standards testing organizations available upon request at 
    the address set forth in Sec. 82.38. The Agency reserves the right to 
    revoke approval if the testing organization violates any of the 
    requirements contained in Sec. 82.38.
    
    E. Technician Training and Certification
    
        Section 82.40 established the standards for programs approved to 
    train and certify technicians. The standards cover training, the 
    subject material that must be covered by each program, and minimum test 
    administration procedures. Summaries of reviews of programs must be 
    submitted every two years and programs must offer technicians proof of 
    certification upon successful completion of the test.
        At this time, over twenty organizations have been approved by EPA 
    to train and certify technicians in the use of recover-recycle and 
    recover-only equipment that services CFC-12 MVACs. Ten of these 
    organizations train and certify their employees, while the remaining 
    train members of the general public. While EPA's approval of these 
    organizations has been limited to equipment that services CFC-12 MVACs, 
    the Agency believes that for purposes of training and certification 
    conducted prior to 30 days after the publication of the final rule 
    following this proposal, these organizations should also be considered 
    as approved for purposes of the equipment and refrigerants subject to 
    today's proposal. As discussed below, the design features of recover/ 
    recycle and recover-only equipment subject to today's proposal are very 
    similar to the design features of CFC-12 equipment, and the procedures 
    for extracting refrigerant are very similar for all types of equipment. 
    The organizations have previously shown their compliance with the 
    provisions regarding test administration and proof of certification. 
    Retraining and recertifying of technicians already certified to use 
    CFC-12 equipment would produce only a limited environmental benefit. In 
    addition, such retraining and recertification would impose a large 
    burden on the technicians and the organizations that certify them. For 
    these reasons, EPA intends to approve the 25 organizations noted above 
    for any training and certification of technicians they conducted prior 
    to 30 days after publication of the final rule in the use of the 
    equipment and refrigerants subject to today's proposal.
        EPA also intends to approve the above-noted currently approved 
    organizations for future training and certification of technicians for 
    the use of the equipment and refrigerants subject to today's proposal 
    on the condition that the organization certify in writing to the Agency 
    that its training materials discuss the standards set forth in 
    appendices C, D, E, and F, as finally adopted, and that its testing 
    materials include questions concerning those standards. Each of the 
    above organizations that submits such a certification shall be approved 
    upon the date which is the later of (i) the effective date of the final 
    rule, or (ii) the receipt by the Agency of such a certification. 
    Organizations that do not submit such a certification will not be 
    approved to train and certify future technicians for the use of the 
    equipment and refrigerants subject to today's proposal.
        As noted above, the prior training and testing of previously 
    approved technicians for CFC-12 equipment adequately and sufficiently 
    covers the standards set forth in appendices C, D, E, and F because of 
    the large overlap between the text of the standard based on SAE J1990 
    contained in appendix A and the standards based on the SAE standards 
    contained in appendices C, D, E and F. In all of these appendices, the 
    following provisions are identical or nearly identical: safety 
    requirements; requirement that the manufacturer must provide operating 
    instructions; requirement that the equipment must ensure the 
    refrigerant recovery by reducing system pressure below atmospheric to a 
    minimum of 102 mm of mercury; the preconditioning of the equipment with 
    a contaminated sample; the composition of that contaminated sample; the 
    requirement that the equipment must be certified by UL or an equivalent 
    certifying laboratory; the requirement that the label on the equipment 
    must state that it has been design certified to meet applicable SAE 
    standards; and the additional storage tank requirements.
        Where the SAE J1990-based standards in appendix A differ from the 
    SAE J1732-based standards in appendices D and F, they differ largely 
    because appendix A contains many provisions that relate to the recycle 
    portion of the equipment operation and which are thus not applicable to 
    appendices D and F. For example, appendix A describes requirements for 
    the recycling test cycle and for the quantitative determination of 
    moisture, lubricant, and noncondensable gas in that cycle.
        A review of SAE J1732 indicates that it contains two provisions 
    that relate to the recovery of refrigerant for which there are no 
    equivalent provisions in SAE J1990. First, section 6.3.2 of SAE J1732 
    requires that the equipment discharge or transfer fitting shall be \1/
    2\'' ACME thread. SAE did not consider this requirement until after the 
    publication of the final version of J1990. This requirement guards 
    against mixing of different refrigerants by using unique fittings. 
    Second, section 6.1 of SAE J1732 requires that the unit must have a 
    device that assures that refrigerant has been recovered so that 
    outgassing is prevented. Although there is no equivalent to this 
    provision in SAE J1990, J1989 requires safeguards to prevent 
    outgassing.
        EPA encourages applications from other organizations that are 
    capable of training and testing technicians. Organizations must 
    demonstrate that they have the appropriate experience to perform the 
    training and testing and 
    
    [[Page 9023]]
    meet the other requirements of Sec. 82.40. The materials must cover the 
    subjects described in 40 CFR 82.40. Approved organizations must 
    demonstrate that the tests they offer will be graded by a computer 
    scanner or disinterested, independent party. The EPA will maintain a 
    list of approved testing and training organizations available upon 
    request at the address set forth in Sec. 82.38. The Agency reserves the 
    right to revoke approval of the organization pursuant to provisions set 
    forth in Sec. 82.40.
    
    F. Sales Restrictions
    
        Section 609 made it unlawful, effective November 15, 1992, for any 
    person to sell or distribute, or offer for sale or distribution, except 
    to section 609 certified technicians, any class I or class II substance 
    suitable for use as refrigerant in a motor vehicle air-conditioning 
    system and that is in a container with less than 20 pounds of 
    refrigerant. Consequently, sales of small cans of CFC-12, as well as 
    small cans of FRIGC and any other HCFC blend which EPA's Significant 
    New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program may determine to be acceptable 
    as a substitute for CFC-12 in MVACs, are limited to section 609 
    certified technicians. In addition, section 608 regulations that became 
    effective November 14, 1994 (58 FR 28714) restrict the sales of all 
    containers (regardless of size) of any class I or II refrigerant to 
    technicians certified under either section 608 or section 609 of the 
    Act.
        In conjunction with the publication of this proposal for changes to 
    the regulations promulgated under section 609 of the Act, the Agency is 
    proposing in a separate rule several changes to the regulations 
    promulgated under section 608 of the Act. The proposed changes to the 
    section 608 regulations are intended for publication on or about the 
    date of publication of this section 609 proposed rule. The proposed 
    changes to the section 608 regulations, pursuant to the mandate of 
    section 608(c)(2), establish standards and requirements for the 
    servicing of appliances and industrial process refrigeration that use 
    refrigerants that substitute for the currently-regulated class I or 
    class II substances. In addition, in that proposal, the Agency may 
    include a provision proposing to restrict the sale of substitute 
    refrigerants, including HFC-134a, to technicians certified under either 
    section 608 or section 609 of the Act. Should the Agency determine to 
    propose such a sales restriction, the proposed changes to the 
    regulatory text and explanatory discussion in the preamble would be 
    entirely contained in the section 608 proposed rule, even though the 
    changes would also affect industries governed under section 609--
    automotive refrigerant distributors, automobile manufacturers, and the 
    automotive service industry. All parties interested whether EPA decides 
    to institute a sales restriction are therefore urged to review the 
    language contained in the section 608 proposal.
    
    III. Summary of Supporting Analyses
    
    A. Executive Order 12866
    
        Under Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993), the 
    Agency must determine whether this regulatory action is ``significant'' 
    and therefore subject to OMB review and the requirements of the 
    Executive Order. The Order defines ``significant'' regulatory action as 
    one that is likely to lead to a rule that may:
        (1) Have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more, 
    or adversely and materially affect a sector of the economy, 
    productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or 
    safety, or State, local, or tribal governments or communities;
        (2) Create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an 
    action taken or planned by another agency;
        (3) Materially alter the budgetary impact of entitlement, grants, 
    user fees, or loan programs or the rights and obligations of recipients 
    thereof; or
        (4) Raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal 
    mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles set forth in 
    the Executive Order.
        It has been determined by OMB and EPA that this proposed rule is 
    not a ``significant regulatory action'' under the terms of Executive 
    Order 12866 and is therefore not subject to OMB review under the 
    Executive Order. The Agency prepared an analysis to assess the impact 
    of the proposed regulation (see Regulatory Assessment for EPA's 
    Proposed Rule on Standards and Requirements for Servicing of Motor 
    Vehicle Air Conditioners that use Refrigerants other than Class I or 
    Class II Substances, U.S. EPA Stratospheric Protection Division, 
    November, 1995), which covers both recover/recycle equipment and 
    recover-only equipment, and is available for review in the public 
    docket for this rulemaking.
    
    B. Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
    
    1. Purpose
        The Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-612, requires that 
    Federal agencies examine the impacts of their regulations on small 
    entities. Under 5 U.S.C. 604(a), whenever an agency is required to 
    publish a general notice of proposed rulemaking, it must prepare and 
    make available for public comment an initial regulatory flexibility 
    analysis (RFA). Such an analysis is not required if the head of an 
    agency certifies that a rule will not have a significant economic 
    impact on a substantial number of small entities, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
    605(b).
        The Agency has performed an initial regulatory flexibility analysis 
    and determined that this regulation does not affect a substantial 
    number of small businesses. The analysis is found in Appendix A in the 
    Regulatory Assessment for EPA's Proposed Rule on Standards and 
    Requirements for Servicing of Motor Vehicle Air Conditioners that use 
    Refrigerants other than Class I or Class II Substances (U.S. EPA 
    Stratospheric Protection Division, October, 1995) (Regulatory 
    Assessment) and is available for review in the docket. The methodology 
    and results of the analysis are presented below.
    2. Methodology and Results
        To examine the impacts on small businesses, EPA first characterized 
    the regulated community by identifying the SIC codes that would be 
    involved in the servicing and repair of motor vehicle air conditioners. 
    After determining the number of these entities that are classified as 
    small by the Small Business Act (SBA), the Agency performed impact 
    tests using sales, profits and cash flow measures. The analysis 
    included least expensive and most expensive private cost scenarios for 
    compliance that were developed for the Regulatory Assessment. The least 
    expensive cost scenario assumed recover/recycle equipment is purchased 
    while the more expensive option assumes dual refrigerant recover/
    recycle equipment is acquired. The analysis also takes the cost of 
    sending refrigerant out for reclamation, labor, and cost savings from 
    using recycled refrigerant into account.
        The analysis indicates that the number of small establishments 
    significantly affected by the regulation ranges from 3.4% if the least 
    expensive compliance option is chosen, to 7.4% if the most expensive 
    compliance option is chosen. The Agency frequently defines a 
    ``substantial number'' of small entities as approximately 20% or more 
    of small establishments. As a result, the Agency certifies that this 
    regulation will not significantly affect a substantial number of small 
    entities, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(b).
    
    [[Page 9024]]
    
    
    C. Paperwork Reduction Act
    
        This proposed rule has no new information requirements subject to 
    the Paperwork Reduction Act.
    
    D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
    
        Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), P.L. 
    104-4, establishes requirements for Federal agencies to assess the 
    effects of their regulatory actions on State, local and tribal 
    governments and the private sector. Under section 202 of the UMRA, EPA 
    generally must prepare a written statement, including a cost-benefit 
    analysis, for proposed and final rules with ``Federal mandates'' that 
    may result in expenditures to State, local and tribal governments, in 
    the aggregate, or to the private sector, of $100 million or more in any 
    one year. Before promulgating an EPA rule for which a written statement 
    is needed, section 205 of the UMRA generally requires EPA to identify 
    and consider a reasonable number of regulatory alternatives and adopt 
    the least costly, most cost-effective or least burdensome alternative 
    that achieves the objectives of the rule.
        Today's proposed rule contains no Federal mandates under the 
    regulatory provisions of Title II of the UMRA for State, local or 
    tribal governments or the private sector. As the draft Regulatory 
    Assessment demonstrates, EPA believes that this rule does not contain a 
    Federal mandate that may result in expenditures of $100 million or more 
    for State, local and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or the 
    private sector, in any one year. Thus, today's proposed rule is not 
    subject to the requirements of sections 202 and 205 of the UMRA. EPA 
    has also determined that this rule contains no regulatory requirements 
    that might significantly or uniquely affect small governments.
    
    List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 82
    
        Environmental protection, Chlorofluorocarbons, Motor vehicle air-
    conditioning, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Recover/recycle 
    equipment, Recover-only equipment, Reporting and certification 
    requirements, Stratospheric ozone layer.
    
        Dated: February 12, 1996.
    Carol M. Browner,
    Administrator.
    
        For the reasons set out in the preamble, 40 CFR part 82 is proposed 
    to be amended as follows:
    
    PART 82--PROTECTION OF STRATOSPHERIC OZONE
    
        1. The authority citation for part 82 continues to read as follows:
    
        Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7414, 7601, 7671-7671q.
    
        2. Section 82.30 is amended by revising paragraph (a) to read to 
    read as follows:
    
    
    Sec. 82.30  Purpose and scope.
    
        (a) The purpose of the regulations in this subpart B is to 
    implement section 609 of the Clean Air Act, as amended (Act) regarding 
    the servicing of motor vehicle air conditioners, and to implement 
    section 608 of the Act regarding certain servicing, maintenance, repair 
    and disposal of air conditioners in motor vehicle-like appliances.
    * * * * *
        3. Section 82.32 is amended by adding a heading to paragraph (e), 
    by revising paragraph (e)(1), and by adding paragraphs (e)(3), (e)(4), 
    and (i) to read as follows:
    
    
    Sec. 82.32  Definitions.
    
    * * * * *
        (e) Properly using. (1) Properly using means using equipment in 
    conformity with the recommended service procedures and practices for 
    the containment of refrigerant set forth in appendices A, B, C, D, E, 
    and F of this subpart, as applicable.
     * * * * *
        (3) Refrigerant that is extracted from an MVAC located at a motor 
    vehicle disposal facility must be properly processed through approved 
    refrigerant recycling equipment prior to using it to charge or recharge 
    an MVAC or MVAC-like appliance (as that term is defined in 
    Sec. 82.152(e)), unless the refrigerant has been reclaimed in 
    accordance with this subpart B.
        (4) Notwithstanding any other terms of this paragraph (e), approved 
    refrigerant recycling equipment may be transported off-site and used to 
    perform air-conditioning service involving refrigerant at other 
    locations where servicing of MVACs occurs. Any such servicing of MVACs 
    or involving refrigerant must meet all of the requirements of this 
    subpart B that would apply if the servicing occurred on-site.
    * * * * *
        (i) Motor vehicle disposal facility means any commercial facility 
    that engages in motor vehicle disposal, dismantling or recycling, 
    including but not limited to scrap yards, landfills and salvage yards 
    engaged in such operations. Motor vehicle repair facilities, including 
    collision repair facilities, are not considered motor vehicle disposal 
    facilities.
        4. Section 82.34 is amended by revising the reference 
    ``Sec. 82.42(b)(4)'' to read ``Sec. 82.42(b)(3)'' in paragraph (b); and 
    by adding paragraph (d) to read as follows:
    
    
    Sec. 82.34  Prohibitions.
    
    * * * * *
        (d) Any person who recovers refrigerant from an MVAC located at a 
    motor vehicle disposal facility must be a certified technician under 
    this subpart B or under subpart F of this part, except for employees, 
    owners, or operators of the disposal facility. Any sale of a class I or 
    class II substance extracted from an MVAC located at such facility must 
    be to a technician certified under this subpart B or under subpart F of 
    this part.
        5. Section 82.36 is amended by revising paragraphs (a)(2) and (b) 
    to read as follows:
    
    
    Sec. 82.36  Approved refrigerant recycling equipment.
    
        (a) * * *
        (2) Equipment that recovers and recycles refrigerant must meet the 
    standards set forth in appendix A of this subpart (Recommended Service 
    Procedure for the Containment of CFC-12, Extraction and Recycle 
    Equipment for Mobile Automotive Air-Conditioning Systems, and Standard 
    of Purity for Use in Mobile Air Conditioning Systems), appendix C of 
    this subpart (Recommended Service Procedure for the Containment of HFC-
    134a and Standards for Recover/Recycle Equipment that Extracts and 
    Recycles HFC-134a and Standard of Purity for Recycled HFC-134a for Use 
    in MVACs) and appendix E of this subpart (Automotive Refrigerant 
    Recycling Equipment Intended for Use with both CFC-12 and HFC-134a), as 
    applicable. Equipment that recovers refrigerant for recycling on-site 
    or for reclamation off-site must meet the standards set forth in 
    appendix B of this subpart (Recommended Service Procedure for the 
    Containment of CFC-12, Extraction Equipment for Mobile Automotive Air-
    Conditioning Systems), appendix D of this subpart (HFC-134a Recover-
    Only Equipment, Recommended Service Procedure for the Containment of 
    HFC-134a) and appendix F of this subpart (Recover only Equipment that 
    Extracts Class I or Class II Refrigerants Other Than CFC-12), as 
    applicable.
        (b)(1) Refrigerant recycling equipment that has not been certified 
    under paragraph (a) of this section shall be considered approved if it 
    is substantially identical to the applicable equipment certified under 
    paragraph (a) of this section, and: 
    
    [[Page 9025]]
    
        (i) For equipment that recovers and recycles CFC-12 refrigerant, it 
    was purchased before September 4, 1991;
        (ii) For equipment that recovers CFC-12 refrigerant for recycling 
    on-site or reclamation off-site, it was purchased before April 22, 
    1992;
        (iii) For equipment that recovers and recycles HFC-134a 
    refrigerant, it was purchased before March 6, 1996;
        (iv) For equipment that recovers HFC-134a refrigerant for recycling 
    on-site or reclamation off-site, it was purchased before March 6, 1996.
        (v) For equipment that recovers any class I or class II refrigerant 
    other than CFC-12 for recycling on-site or reclamation off-site, it was 
    purchased before March 6, 1996; and
        (vi) For equipment that recovers and recycles HFC-134a and CFC-12 
    refrigerant, it was purchased before March 6, 1996.
        (2) Equipment manufacturers or owners may request a determination 
    by the Administrator by submitting an application and supporting 
    documents that indicate that the equipment is substantially identical 
    to approved equipment to: MVACs Recycling Program Manager, 
    Stratospheric Protection Division (6205J), U.S. Environmental 
    Protection Agency, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460, Attn: 
    Substantially Identical Equipment Review. Supporting documents must 
    include process flow sheets, lists of components and any other 
    information that would indicate that the equipment is capable of 
    processing the refrigerant to the standards in appendix A, B, C, D, E 
    or F of this subpart, as applicable. Authorized representatives of the 
    Administrator may inspect equipment for which approval is being sought 
    and request samples of refrigerant that has been extracted and/or 
    recycled using the equipment. Equipment that fails to meet appropriate 
    standards will not be considered approved.
    * * * * *
        6. Section 82.38 is amended by revising paragraphs (a) and 
    (b)(1)(iii) to read as follows:
    
    
    Sec. 82.38  Approved independent standards testing organizations.
    
        (a) Any independent standards testing organization may apply for 
    approval by the Administrator to certify equipment as meeting the 
    standards in appendix A, B, C, D, E, or F of this subpart, as 
    applicable. The application shall be sent to: MVACs Recycling Program 
    Manager, Stratospheric Protection Division (6205J), U.S. Environmental 
    Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460.
        (b) * * *
        (1) * * *
        (iii) Thorough knowledge of the standards as they appear in the 
    applicable appendices of this subpart; and
    * * * * *
        7. Section 82.40 is amended by revising paragraph (a)(2)(i) to read 
    as follows:
    
    
    Sec. 82.40  Technician training and certification.
    
        (a) * * *
        (2) * * *
        (i) The standards established for the service and repair of motor 
    vehicle air conditioners as set forth in appendices A, B, C, D, E, and 
    F of this subpart. These standards relate to the recommended service 
    procedures for the containment of refrigerant, extraction equipment, 
    extraction and recycle equipment, and the standard of purity for 
    refrigerant in motor vehicle air conditioners.
    * * * * *
        8. Appendix C is added to Subpart B to read as follows:
    
    Appendix C to Part 82, Subpart B--Standard for Recover/Recycle 
    Equipment for HFC-134a Refrigerant
    
        I. SAE J2210, issued December, 1991.
    
    HFC-134a Recycling Equipment for Mobile Air Conditioning Systems
    
    Foreword
    
        The purpose of this standard is to establish the specific 
    minimum equipment specification required for the recycling of HFC-
    134a that has been directly removed from, and is intended for reuse 
    in, mobile air-conditioning systems. Establishing such 
    specifications will assure that system operation with recycled HFC-
    134a will provide the same level of performance and durability as 
    new refrigerant.
    
    1. Scope
    
        The purpose of this standard is to establish specific minimum 
    equipment requirements for recycling HFC-134a that has been directly 
    removed from, and is intended for reuse in, mobile air-conditioning 
    (A/C) systems.
    
    2. References
    
        Applicable Documents--The following publications form a part of 
    this specification to the extent specified.
    
        2.1.1  SAE Publications--Available from SAE, 400 Commonwealth 
    Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001.
        SAE J2099--Standard of Purity for Recycled HFC-134a for Use in 
    Mobile Air-Conditioning Systems.
        SAE J2196--Service Hoses for Automotive Air-Conditioning.
        SAE J2197--Service Hose Fittings for Automotive Air-
    Conditioning.
        2.1.2  CGA Publications--Available from CGA, 1235 Jefferson 
    Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202.
        CGA Pamphlet S-1.1--Pressure Relief Device Standard Part 1--
    Cylinders for Compressed Gases.
        2.1.3  DOT Publications--Available from the Superintendent of 
    Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.
        DOT Standard, 49 CFR 173.304--Shippers--General Requirements for 
    Shipments and Packagings.
        2.1.4  UL Publications--Available from Underwriters 
    Laboratories, 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-2096.
        UL 1769--Cylinder Valves.
        UL 1963--Refrigerant Recovery/Recycling Equipment.
    
    3. Specification and General Description
    
        3.1  The equipment must be able to remove and process HFC-134a 
    from mobile A/C systems to the purity level specified in SAE J2099.
        3.2  The equipment shall be suitable for use in an automotive 
    service garage environment and be capable of continuous operation in 
    ambients from 10 to 49  deg.C (50 to 120  deg.F).
        3.3  The equipment must be certified that it meets this 
    specification by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or an equivalent 
    certifying laboratory.
        3.4  The equipment shall have a label which states ``Design 
    Certified by (Certifying Agent) to meet SAE J2210'' in bold-type 
    letters a minimum of 3 mm in height.
    
    4. Refrigerant Recycling Equipment Requirements
    
        4.1  Moisture and Acid--The equipment shall incorporate a 
    desiccant package that must be replaced before saturation with 
    moisture, and whose mineral acid capacity is at least 5% by weight 
    of the dry desiccant.
        4.1.1  The equipment shall be provided with a moisture detection 
    means that will reliably indicate when moisture in the HFC-134a 
    reaches the allowable limit and desiccant replacement is required.
        4.2  Filter--The equipment shall incorporate an in-line filter 
    that will trap particulates of 15 micron spherical diameter or 
    greater.
        4.3  Noncondensable Gases.
        4.3.1  The equipment shall either automatically purge 
    noncondensables (NCGs) if the acceptable level is exceeded or 
    incorporate a device that indicates to the operator that the NCG 
    level has been exceeded. NCG removal must be part of the normal 
    operation of the equipment and instructions must be provided to 
    enable the task to be accomplished within 30 minutes.
        4.3.2  Refrigerant loss from noncondensable gas purging during 
    the testing described in Section 8 shall not exceed 5% by weight of 
    the total contaminated refrigerant removed from the test system.
        4.4  Recharging and Transfer of Recycled Refrigerant--Recycled 
    refrigerant for recharging and transfer shall be taken from the 
    liquid phase only.
    
    5. Safety Requirements
    
        5.1  The equipment must comply with applicable federal, state, 
    and local requirements on equipment related to 
    
    [[Page 9026]]
    handling HFC-134a material. Safety precautions or notices related to 
    safe operation of the equipment shall be prominently displayed on 
    the equipment and should also state ``CAUTION--SHOULD BE OPERATED BY 
    QUALIFIED PERSONNEL''.
        5.2  HFC-134a has been shown to be nonflammable at ambient 
    temperature and atmospheric pressure. However, tests under 
    controlled conditions have indicated that, at pressures above 
    atmospheric and with air concentrations greater than 60% by volume, 
    HFC-134a can form combustible mixtures. While it is recognized that 
    an ignition source is also required for combustion to occur, the 
    presence of combustible mixtures is a potentially dangerous 
    situation and should be avoided.
        5.3  Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should any equipment be pressure 
    tested or leak tested with air/HFC-134a mixtures. Do not use 
    compressed air (shop air) for leak detection in HFC-134a systems.
    
    6. Operating Instructions
    
        6.1  The equipment manufacturer must provide operating 
    instructions, including proper attainment of vehicle system vacuum 
    (i.e., when to stop the extraction process), filter/desiccant 
    replacement, and purging of noncondensable gases (air). Also to be 
    included are any other necessary maintenance procedures, source 
    information for replacement parts and repair, and safety 
    precautions.
        6.2  The equipment must prominently display the manufacturer's 
    name, address, the type of refrigerant it is designed to recycle, a 
    service telephone number, and the part number for the replacement 
    filter/drier.
    
    7. Functional Description
    
        7.1  The equipment must be capable of ensuring removal of 
    refrigerant from the system being serviced by reducing the system 
    pressure to a minimum of 102 mm (4 in) of mercury below atmospheric 
    pressure (i.e., vacuum).
        7.2  During operation, the equipment shall provide overfill 
    protection to assure that the liquid fill of the storage container 
    (which may be integral or external) does not exceed 80% of the 
    tank's rated volume at 21.1  deg.C (70  deg.F) per Department of 
    Transportation (DOT) Standard, 49 CFR 173.304 and the American 
    Society of Mechanical Engineers.
        7.3  Portable refillable tanks or containers used in conjunction 
    with this equipment must be labeled ``HFC-134a'', meet applicable 
    DOT or Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Standards, and shall 
    incorporate fittings per SAE J2197.
        7.3.1  The cylinder valve shall comply with the standard for 
    cylinder valves, UL 1769.
        7.3.2  The pressure relief device shall comply with the Pressure 
    Relief Device Standard Part 1--Cylinders for Compressed Gases, CGA 
    Pamphlet S-1.1.
        7.3.3  The tank assembly shall be marked to indicate the first 
    retest date which shall be 5 years after the date of manufacture. 
    The marking shall indicate that retest must be performed every 
    subsequent 5 years. The marking shall be in letter at least 6 mm 
    (\1/4\ in) high.
        7.4  All flexible hoses must comply with SAE J2196.
        7.5  Service hoses must have shutoff devices located within 30 
    cm (12 in) of the connection point to the system being serviced as 
    identified in J2196. All service fittings must comply with SAE 
    J2197.
        7.6  The equipment must be able to separate the lubricant from 
    the removed refrigerant and accurately indicate the amount of 
    lubricant removed during the process, in 30 mL (1 fl oz) units. 
    Refrigerant dissolves in lubricants and, as a result, increases the 
    volume of the recovered lubricant sample. This creates the illusion 
    that more lubricant has been recovered than actually has been. The 
    equipment lubricant measuring system must take into account such 
    dissolved refrigerant to prevent overcharging the vehicle system 
    with lubricant. (Note: Use only new lubricant to replace the amount 
    removed during the recycling process. Used lubricant should be 
    discarded per applicable federal, state, and local requirements.)
    
    8. Testing
    
        This test procedure and its requirements are to be used to 
    determine the ability of the recycling equipment to adequately 
    recycle contaminated refrigerant.
        8.1  The equipment shall be able to clean the contaminated 
    refrigerant in section 8.3 to the purity level defined in SAE J2099.
        8.2  The equipment shall be operated in accordance with the 
    manufacturer's operating instructions.
        8.3  Contaminated HFC-134a Sample.
        8.3.1  The standard contaminated refrigerant shall consist of 
    liquid HFC-134a with 1300 ppm (by weight) moisture (equivalent to 
    saturation at 38  deg.C [100  deg.F]), 45,000 ppm (by weight) HFC-
    134a compatible lubricant, and 1000 ppm (by weight) of 
    noncondensable gases (air).
        8.3.1.1  The HFC-134a compatible lubricant referred to in 
    section 8.3.1 shall be ICI DGLF 118, or equivalent, which shall 
    contain no more than 1000 ppm by weight of moisture.
        8.4  Test Cycle.
        8.4.1  The equipment must be preconditioned by processing 13.6 
    kg (30 lb) of the standard contaminated HFC-134a at an ambient of 21 
     deg.C (70  deg.F) before starting the test cycle. 1.13 kg (2.5 lb) 
    samples are to be processed at 5 min intervals. The test fixture, 
    depicted in Figure 1 to Appendix A of this subpart, shall be 
    operated at 21  deg.C (70  deg.F).
        8.4.2  Following the preconditioning procedure per section 
    8.4.1, 18.2 kg (40 lb) of standard contaminated HFC-134a are to be 
    processed by the equipment.
        8.5  Sample Requirements.
        8.5.1  Samples of the standard contaminated refrigerant from 
    section 8.3.1 shall be processed as required in section 8.6 and 
    shall be analyzed after said processing as defined in sections 8.7, 
    8.8, and section 8.9. Note exception for non-condensable gas 
    determination in section 8.9.4.
        8.6  Equipment Operating Ambient.
        8.6.1  The HFC-134a is to be cleaned to the purity level, as 
    defined in SAE J2099, with the equipment operating in a stable 
    ambient of 10, 21, and 49  deg.C (50, 70, 120  deg.F) while 
    processing the samples as defined in section 8.4.
        8.7  Quantitative Determination of Moisture.
        8.7.1  The recycled liquid phase sample of HFC-134a shall be 
    analyzed for moisture content via Karl Fischer coulometric 
    titration, or an equivalent method. The Karl Fischer apparatus is an 
    instrument for precise determination of small amounts of water 
    dissolved in liquid and/or gas samples.
        8.7.2  In conducting this test, a weighed sample of 30 to 130 g 
    is vaporized directly into the Karl Fischer anolyte. A coulometric 
    titration is conducted and the results are reported as parts per 
    million moisture (weight).
        8.8  Determination of Percent Lubricant.
        8.8.1  The amount of lubricant in the recycled HFC-134a sample 
    shall be determined via gravimetric analysis. The methodology must 
    account for the hygroscopicity of the lubricant.
        8.8.2  Following venting of noncondensable gases in accordance 
    with the manufacturer's operating instructions, the refrigerant 
    container shall be shaken 5 min prior to extracting samples for 
    testing.
        8.8.3  A weighed sample of 175 to 225 g of liquid HFC-134a is 
    allowed to evaporate at room temperature. The percent lubricant is 
    calculated from weights of the original sample and the residue 
    remaining after evaporation.
        8.9  Noncondensable Gases.
        8.9.1  The amount of noncondensable gases shall be determined by 
    gas chromatography. A sample of vaporized refrigerant liquid shall 
    be separated and analyzed by gas chromatography. A Porapak Q column 
    at 130  deg.C (266  deg.F) and a hot wire detector may be used for 
    the analysis.
        8.9.2  This test shall be conducted on liquid phase samples of 
    recycled refrigerant taken from a full container as defined in 
    section 7.2 within 30 minutes following the proper venting of 
    noncondensable gases.
        8.9.3  The liquid phase samples in section 8.9.2 shall be 
    vaporized completely prior to gas chromatographic analysis.
        8.9.4  This test shall be conducted at 21 and 49  deg.C (50 and 
    120  deg.F) and may be performed in conjunction with the testing 
    defined in section 8.6. The equipment shall process at least 13.6 kg 
    (30 lb) of standard contaminated refrigerant for this test.
    
    Rationale
    
        Not applicable.
    
    Relationship of Standard to ISO Standard
    
        Not applicable.
    
    Application
    
        The purpose of this standard is to establish the specific 
    minimum equipment requirements for recycling HFC-134a that has been 
    directly removed from, and is intended for reuse in, mobile air-
    conditioning (A/C) systems.
    
    Reference Section
    
        SAE J2099--Standard of Purity for Recycled HFC-134a for Use in 
    Mobile Air-Conditioning Systems.
        SAE J2196--Service Hoses for Automotive Air-Conditioning.
        SAE J2197--Service Hose Fittings for Automotive Air-
    Conditioning.
    
    [[Page 9027]]
    
        CGA Pamphlet S-1.1--Pressure Relief Device Standard Part 1--
    Cylinders for Compressed Gases.
        UL 1769--Cylinder Valves.
        UL 1963--Refrigerant Recovery/Recycling Equipment.
        DOT Standard, 49 CFR 173.304--Shippers--General Requirements for 
    Shipment and Packagings.
        II. SAE J2211, issued December, 1991.
    
    Recommended Service Procedure for the Containment of HFC-134a
    
    1. Scope
    
        Refrigerant containment is an important part of servicing mobile 
    air-conditioning systems. This procedure provides guidelines for 
    technicians for servicing mobile air-conditioning systems and 
    operating refrigerant recycling equipment designed for HFC-134a 
    (described in SAE J2210).
    
    2. References
    
        2.1  Applicable Documents--The following publications form a 
    part of this specification to the extent specified. The latest issue 
    of SAE publications shall apply.
        2.1.1  SAE Publications--Available from SAE, 400 Commonwealth 
    Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001.
        SAE J2196--Service Hoses for Automotive Air-Conditioning.
        SAE J2197--Service Hose Fittings for Automotive Air-
    Conditioning.
        SAE J2210--Refrigerant Recycling Equipment for HFC-134a Mobile 
    Air-Conditioning Systems.
        SAE J2219--Concerns to the Mobile Air-Conditioning Industry.
        2.2  Definitions.
        2.2.1  Recovery/Recycling (R/R) Unit--Refers to a single piece 
    of equipment that performs both functions of recovery and recycling 
    of refrigerants per SAE J2210.
        2.2.2  Recovery--Refers to that portion of the R/R unit 
    operation that removes the refrigerant from the mobile air-
    conditioning system and places it in the R/R unit storage container.
        2.2.3  Recycling--Refers to that portion of the R/R unit 
    operation that processes the refrigerant for reuse on the same job 
    site to the purity specifications of SAE J2099.
    
    3. Service Procedure
    
        3.1  Connect the recycling unit service hoses, which shall have 
    shutoff devices (e.g., valves) within 30 cm (12 in) of the service 
    ends, to the vehicle air-conditioning (A/C) service ports. Hoses 
    shall conform to SAE J2196 and fittings shall conform to SAE J2197.
        3.2  Operate the recycling equipment per the equipment 
    manufacturer's recommended procedure.
        3.2.1  Verify that the vehicle A/C system has refrigerant 
    pressure. Do not attempt to recycle refrigerant from a discharged 
    system as this will introduce air (noncondensable gas) into the 
    recycling equipment which must later be removed by purging.
        3.2.2  Begin the recycling process by removing the refrigerant 
    from the vehicle A/C system. Continue the process until the system 
    pressure has been reduced to a minimum of 102mm (4 in) of mercury 
    below atmospheric pressure (i.e., vacuum). If A/C components show 
    evidence of icing, the component can be gently heated to facilitate 
    refrigerant removal. With the recycling unit shut off for at least 5 
    minutes, check A/C system pressure. If this pressure has risen above 
    vacuum (0 psig), additional recycler operation is required to remove 
    the remaining refrigerant. Repeat the operation until the system 
    pressure remains stable at vacuum for 2 minutes.
        3.3  Close the valves in the service lines and then remove the 
    service lines from the vehicle system. If the recovery equipment has 
    automatic closing valves, be sure they are operating properly. 
    Proceed with the repair/service.
        3.4  Upon completion of refrigerant removal from the A/C system, 
    determine the amount of lubricant removed during the process and 
    replenish the system with new lubricant, which is identified on the 
    A/C system label. Used lubricant should be discarded per applicable 
    federal, state, and local requirements.
    
    4. Service with a Manifold Gauge Set
    
        4.1  High-side, low-side, and center service hoses must have 
    shutoff devices (e.g., valves) within 30 cm (12 in) of the service 
    ends. Valves must be closed prior to hose removal from the A/C 
    system to prevent refrigerant loss to the atmosphere.
        4.2  During all service operations, service hose valves should 
    be closed until connected to the vehicle A/C system or to the 
    charging source to exclude air and/or contain the refrigerant.
        4.3  When the manifold gauge set is disconnected from the A/C 
    system, or when the center hose is moved to another device that 
    cannot accept refrigerant pressure, the gauge set hoses should be 
    attached to the recycling equipment to recover the refrigerant from 
    the hoses.
    
    5. Supplemental Refrigerant Checking Procedure for Stored Portable 
    Containers
    
        5.1  Certified recycling equipment and the accompanying 
    recycling procedure, when properly followed, will deliver use-ready 
    refrigerant. In the event that the full recycling procedure was not 
    followed or the technician is unsure about the noncondensable gas 
    content of a given tank of refrigerant, this procedure can be used 
    to determine whether the recycled refrigerant container meets the 
    specification for noncondensable gases (air). (Note: The use of 
    refrigerant with excess air will result in higher system operating 
    pressures and may cause A/C system damage.)
        5.2  The container must be stored at a temperature of 18.3  
    deg.C (65  deg.F) or above for at least 12 hours, protected from 
    direct sunlight.
        5.3  Install a calibrated pressure gauge, with 6.9 kPa (1 psig) 
    divisions, on the container and read container pressure.
        5.4  With a calibrated thermometer, measure the air temperature 
    within 10 cm (4 in) of the container surface.
        5.5  Compare the observed container pressure and air temperature 
    to the values given in Tables 1 and 2 to determine whether the 
    container pressure is below the pressure limit given in the 
    appropriate table. For example, at an air temperature of 21  deg.C 
    (-70  deg.F) the container pressure must not exceed 524 kPa (76 
    psig).
        5.6  If the refrigerant in the container has been recycled and 
    the container pressure is less than the limit in Tables 1 and 2, the 
    refrigerant may be used.
        5.7  If the refrigerant in the container has been recycled and 
    the container pressure exceeds the limit in Tables 1 and 2, slowly 
    vent, from the top of the container, a small amount of vapor into 
    the recycle equipment until the pressure is less than the pressure 
    shown in Tables 1 and 2.
        5.8  If, after shaking the container and letting it stand for a 
    few minutes, the container pressure still exceeds the pressure limit 
    shown in Tables 1 and 2, the entire contents of the container shall 
    be recycled.
    
             Table 1.--Maximum Allowable Container Pressure (Metric)        
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               Temp, C(F)                              kPa  
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    18 (65)........................................................      476
    19 (66)........................................................      483
    20 (68)........................................................      503
    21 (70)........................................................      524
    22 (72)........................................................      545
    23 (73)........................................................      552
    24 (75)........................................................      572
    25 (77)........................................................      593
    26 (79)........................................................      621
    27 (81)........................................................      642
    28 (82)........................................................      655
    29 (84)........................................................      676
    30 (86)........................................................      703
    31 (88)........................................................      724
    32 (90)........................................................      752
    33 (91)........................................................      765
    34 (93)........................................................      793
    35 (95)........................................................      814
    36 (97)........................................................      841
    37 (99)........................................................      876
    38 (100).......................................................      889
    39 (102).......................................................      917
    40 (104).......................................................      945
    41 (106).......................................................      979
    42 (108).......................................................     1007
    43 (109).......................................................     1027
    44 (111).......................................................     1055
    45 (113).......................................................     1089
    46 (115).......................................................     1124
    47 (117).......................................................     1158
    489 (118)......................................................     1179
    49 (120).......................................................     1214
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    
            Table 2.--Maximum Allowable Container Pressure (English)        
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Temp, F                                Psig 
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    65.............................................................       69
    66.............................................................       70
    67.............................................................       71
    68.............................................................       73
    69.............................................................       74
    70.............................................................       76
    71.............................................................       77
    72.............................................................       79
    73.............................................................       80
    74.............................................................       82
    75.............................................................       83
    76.............................................................       85
    77.............................................................       86
    78.............................................................       88
    79.............................................................       90
    
    [[Page 9028]]
                                                                            
    80.............................................................       91
    81.............................................................       93
    82.............................................................       95
    83.............................................................       96
    84.............................................................       98
    85.............................................................      100
    86.............................................................      102
    87.............................................................      103
    88.............................................................      105
    89.............................................................      107
    90.............................................................      109
    91.............................................................      111
    92.............................................................      113
    93.............................................................      115
    94.............................................................      117
    95.............................................................      118
    96.............................................................      120
    97.............................................................      122
    98.............................................................      125
    99.............................................................      127
    100............................................................      129
    101............................................................      131
    102............................................................      133
    103............................................................      135
    104............................................................      137
    105............................................................      139
    106............................................................      142
    107............................................................      144
    108............................................................      146
    109............................................................      149
    110............................................................      151
    111............................................................      153
    112............................................................      156
    113............................................................      158
    114............................................................      160
    115............................................................      163
    116............................................................      165
    117............................................................      168
    118............................................................      171
    119............................................................      173
    120............................................................      176
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    
    
    6. Containers for Storage of Recycled Refrigerant
    
        6.1  Recycled refrigerant should not be salvaged or stored in 
    disposable containers (this is one common type of container in which 
    new refrigerant is sold). Use only DOT 49 CFR or UL approved storage 
    containers, specifically marked for HFC-134a, for recycled 
    refrigerant.
        6.2  Any container of recycled refrigerant that has been stored 
    or transferred must be checked prior to use as defined in Section 5.
        6.3  Evacuate the tanks to at least 635 mm Hg (25 in Hg) below 
    atmospheric pressure (vacuum) prior to first use.
    
    7. Transfer of Recycled Refrigerant
    
        7.1  When external portable containers are used for transfer, 
    the container must be evacuated to at least 635 mm (25 in Hg) below 
    atmospheric pressure (vacuum) prior to transfer of the recycled 
    refrigerant to the container. External portable containers must meet 
    DOT and UL standards.
        7.2  To prevent on-site overfilling when transferring to 
    external containers, the safe filling level must be controlled by 
    weight and must not exceed 60% of the container gross weight rating.
    
    8. Safety Note for HFC-134a
    
        8.1  HFC-134a has been shown to be nonflammable at ambient 
    temperature and atmospheric pressure. However, recent tests under 
    controlled conditions have indicated that, at pressures above 
    atmospheric and with air concentrations greater than 60% by volume, 
    HFC-134a can form combustible mixtures. While it is recognized that 
    an ignition source is also required for combustion to occur, the 
    presence of combustible mixtures is a potentially dangerous 
    situation and should be avoided.
        8.2  Under NO CIRCUMSTANCE should any equipment be pressure 
    tested or leak tested with air/HFC-134a mixtures. Do not use 
    compressed air (shop air) for leak detection in HFC-134a systems.
    
    9. Disposal of Empty/Near Empty Containers
    
        9.1  Since all refrigerant may not have been removed from 
    disposable refrigerant containers during normal system charging 
    procedures, empty/near empty container contents should be recycled 
    prior to disposal of the container.
        9.2  Attach the container to the recycling unit and remove the 
    remaining refrigerant. When the container has been reduced from a 
    pressure to vacuum, the container valve can be closed and the 
    container can be removed from the unit. The container should be 
    marked ``Empty'', after which it is ready for disposal.
        III. SAE J2099, issued December, 1991.
    
    Standard of Purity for Recycled HFC-134a for Use in Mobile Air 
    Conditioning Systems
    
    Foreword
    
        The purpose of this standard is to establish the minimum level 
    of purity required for recycled HFC-134a removed from, and intended 
    for reuse in, mobile air-conditioning systems.
    
    1. Scope
    
        This standard applies to HFC-134a refrigerant used to service 
    motor vehicle passenger compartment air-conditioning systems 
    designed or retrofitted to use HFC-134a. Hermetically sealed, 
    refrigerated cargo systems are not covered by this standard.
    
    2. References
    
        2.1  Applicable Documents--The following publications form a 
    part of this specification to the extent specified. The latest issue 
    of SAE publications shall apply.
        2.1.1  SAE publications--Available from SAE, 400 Commonwealth 
    Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001.
        SAE J2210--HFC-134a Recycling Equipment for Mobile Air-
    Conditioning Systems.
        SAE J2211--Recommended Service Procedure for the Containment of 
    HFC-134a.
    
    3. Purity Specification
    
        The refrigerant referred to in this standard shall have been 
    directly removed from, and intended to be returned to, a mobile air-
    conditioning system. Contaminants in this recycled refrigerant shall 
    be limited to moisture, refrigerant system lubricant, and 
    noncondensable gases, which, when measured in the refrigerant liquid 
    phase, shall not exceed the following levels:
        3.1  Moisture--50 ppm by weight.
        3.2  Lubricant--500 ppm by weight.
        3.3  Noncondensable Gases (Air)--150 ppm by weight.
    
    4. Requirements for Recycle Equipment Used in Direct Mobile Air-
    Conditioning Service Operations
    
        4.1  Such equipment shall meet J2210, which covers additional 
    moisture, acid, and filter requirements.
    
    5. Purity of HFC-134a Supplied from Other Sources
    
        The purity of HFC-134a refrigerant supplied in containers from 
    other sources shall, for servicing mobile air-conditioning systems, 
    meet the refrigerant manufacturer's specification for new HFC-134a 
    intended for mobile air-conditioning system use.
    
    6. Operation of the Recycle Equipment
    
        Recycle equipment operation shall be in accord with SAE J2211.
    
    Application
    
        This Standard applies to HFC-134a refrigerant used to service 
    motor vehicle passenger compartment air-conditioning systems 
    designed or retrofitted to use HFC-134a. Hermetically sealed, 
    refrigerated cargo systems are not covered by this standard.
    
    Reference Section
    
        SAE J2210--HFC-134a Recycling Equipment for Mobile Air-
    Conditioning Systems.
        SAE J2211--Recommended Service Procedure for the Containment of 
    HFC-134a.
    
        9. Appendix D is added to Subpart B to read as follows:
    
    Appendix D to Part 82, Subpart B--Standard for HFC-134a Recover-Only 
    Equipment
    
        SAE J2211, Recommended Service Procedure for Containment of HFC-
    134a, as set forth under Appendix C of this subpart, also applies to 
    this Appendix D.
        SAE J1732, issued December, 1994.
    
    HFC-134a (R-134a) Extraction Equipment for Mobile Automotive Air-
    Conditioning Systems
    
    Foreword
    
        Appendix C of this part established equipment specifications for 
    on-site recovery and reuse of HFC-134a in air-conditioning systems. 
    These specifications are for HFC-134a extraction only equipment that 
    are intended to be used in conjunction with the on-site recycling 
    equipment currently used at service facilities, or allow for off-
    site refrigerant reclamation.
    
    1. Scope
    
        a. The purpose of this standard is to provide equipment 
    specification for only the recovery of HFC-134a refrigerant to be 
    returned to a refrigerant reclamation facility that will process it 
    to ARI Standard 700-93 or allow for recycling of the recovered 
    refrigerant to SAE J2210 specifications by using Design Certified 
    equipment of the same 
    
    [[Page 9029]]
    ownership. It is not acceptable that refrigerant removed from a mobile 
    air conditioning system with this equipment be directly returned to 
    a mobile air-conditioning system.
        b. This information applies to equipment used to service 
    automobiles, light trucks, and other vehicles with similar HFC-134a 
    air conditioning systems.
    
    2. References
    
        2.1  Applicable Documents--The following publications form a 
    part of this specification to the extent specified.
        2.1.1  SAE Publications--Available from SAE, 400 Commonwealth 
    Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001.
        SAE J639--Vehicle Service Coupling.
        SAE J2210--HFC-134a Recycling Equipment for Mobile Automotive 
    Air Conditioning Systems.
        SAE J2196--Service Hoses for Automotive Air-Conditioning.
        SAE J2197--Service Hose Fittings for Automotive Air-
    Conditioning.
        2.1.2  ARI Publication--Available from Air Conditioning and 
    Refrigerant Institute, 1501 Wilson Blvd. Sixth Floor, Arlington, VA 
    22209.
        ARI 700-93--Specifications for Fluorocarbon Refrigerants.
        2.1.3  CGA Publications--Available from CGA, 1235 Jefferson 
    Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202.
        CGA Pamphlet S-1.1--Pressure Relief Device Standard Part 1--
    Cylinders for Compressed Gases.
        2.1.4  DOT Publications--Available from the Superintendent of 
    Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.
        DOT Standard, 49 CFR 49 173.304 Shippers--General Requirements 
    for Shipments and Packagings.
        2.1.5  UL Publications--Available from Underwriters 
    Laboratories, 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-2096.
        UL 1769--Cylinder Valves.
    
    3. Specification and General Description
    
        3.1  The equipment must be able to extract HFC-134a from a 
    mobile air-conditioning system.
        3.2  The equipment shall be suitable for use in an automotive 
    service garage environment as defined in section 6.8.
        3.3  Equipment Certification--The equipment shall be certified 
    by Underwriters Laboratories or an equivalent certifying laboratory 
    to meet this standard.
        3.4  Label Requirements--The equipment shall have a label 
    ``Design Certified by (Company Name) to meet SAE J1732 for use only 
    with HFC-134a. The refrigerant from this equipment must be processed 
    to ARI 700-93 specifications or to SAE J2210 specifications by using 
    Design Certified equipment of the same ownership.'' The minimum 
    letter size shall be bold type 3 mm in height.
    
    4. Safety Requirements
    
        4.1  The equipment must comply with applicable federal, state, 
    and local requirements on equipment related to the handling of HFC-
    134a material. Safety precautions or notices or labels related to 
    the safe operation of the equipment shall also be prominently 
    displayed on the equipment and should state ``CAUTION--SHOULD BE 
    OPERATED BY CERTIFIED PERSONNEL.'' The safety identification shall 
    be located on the front near the controls.
        4.2  The equipment must comply with applicable safety standards 
    for electrical and mechanical requirements.
    
    5. Operating Instructions
    
        5.1  The equipment manufacturer must provide operating 
    instructions that include information required by SAE J1629, 
    necessary maintenance procedures, and source information for 
    replacement parts and repair.
        5.1.1  The instruction manual shall include the following 
    information on the lubricant removed. Only new lubricant, as 
    identified by the system manufacturer, should be replaced in the 
    mobile air conditioning system. Removed lubricant from the system 
    and/or the equipment shall be disposed of in accordance with the 
    applicable federal, state, and local procedures and regulations.
        5.2  The equipment must prominently display the manufacturer's 
    name, address, the type of refrigerant it is designed to extract, a 
    service telephone number, and any items that require maintenance or 
    replacement that affect the proper operation of the equipment. 
    Operation manuals must cover information for complete maintenance of 
    the equipment to assure proper operation.
    
    6. Functional Description
    
        6.1  The equipment must be capable of ensuring removal of 
    refrigerant from the system being serviced by reducing the system 
    pressure to a minimum of 102 mm (4 in) of mercury below atmospheric 
    pressure (i.e., vacuum). To prevent system delayed outgassing, the 
    unit must have a device that assures the refrigerant has been 
    recovered from the air-conditioning system.
        6.1.1  Testing laboratory certification of the equipment 
    capability is required which shall process contaminated refrigerant 
    samples at specific temperatures.
        6.2  The equipment must be preconditioned by processing 13.6 kg 
    (30 lb) of the standard contaminated HFC-134a at an ambient of 21 
    deg.C (70  deg.F) before starting the test cycle. Sample amounts are 
    not to exceed 1.13 kg (2.5 lb) with sample amounts to be repeated 
    every 5 minutes. The test fixture shown in Figure 1 to Appendix A of 
    this subpart shall be operated at 21  deg.C. Contaminated HFC-134a 
    samples shall be processed at ambient temperatures of 10 and 49 
    deg.C, without equipment shutting due to any safety devices employed 
    in this equipment.
        6.2.1  Contaminated HFC-134a sample
        6.2.2  Standard contaminated HFC-134a refrigerant, 13.6 kg 
    sample size, shall consist of liquid HFC-134a with 1300 ppm (by 
    weight) moisture at 21  deg.C and 45,000 ppm (by weight) of oil 
    (polyalkylene glycol oil with 100 cs viscosity at 40  deg.C or 
    equivalent) and 1000 ppm by weight of noncondensable gases (air).
        6.3  Portable refillable containers used in conjunction with 
    this equipment must meet applicable DOT Standards.
        6.3.1  The container color must be blue with a yellow top to 
    identify that it contains used HFC-134a refrigerant. It must be 
    permanently marked on the outside surface in black print at least 20 
    mm high ``DIRTY HFC-134a--DO NOT USE, MUST BE REPROCESSED''.
        6.3.2  The portable refillable container shall have a \1/2\ inch 
    ACME thread.
        6.3.3  During operation, the equipment shall provide overfill 
    protection to assure that the storage container liquid fill does not 
    exceed 80% of the tank's rated volume at 21  deg.C per DOT Standard, 
    49 CFR 173.304 and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
        6.4  Additional Storage Tank Requirements.
        6.4.1  The cylinder valve shall comply with UL 1769.
        6.4.2  The pressure relief device shall comply with CGA Pamphlet 
    S-1.1.
        6.4.3  The container assembly shall be marked to indicate the 
    first retest date, which shall be 5 years after date of manufacture. 
    The marking shall indicate that retest must be performed every 
    subsequent 5 years. The markings shall be in letters at least 6 mm 
    high.
        6.5  All flexible hoses must meet SAE J2196 for service hoses.
        6.6  Service hoses must have shutoff devices located within 30 
    cm (12 in) of the connection point to the system being serviced to 
    minimize introduction of noncondensable gases into the recovery 
    equipment during connection and the release of the refrigerant 
    during disconnection.
        6.7  The equipment must be able to separate the lubricant from 
    recovered refrigerant and accurately indicate the amount removed 
    from the simulated automotive system during processing in 30 mL 
    units.
        6.7.1  The purpose of indicating the amount of lubricant removed 
    is to ensure that a proper amount of new lubricant is returned to 
    the mobile air conditioning system for compressor lubrication.
        6.7.2  Refrigerant dissolved in this lubricant must be accounted 
    for to prevent system lubricant overcharge of the mobile air-
    conditioning system.
        6.8  The equipment must be capable of continuous operation in 
    ambient temperatures of 10  deg.C to 49  deg.C and comply with 
    sections 6.1 and 6.2.
        7. For test validation, the equipment is to be operated 
    according to the manufacturer's instructions.
    
    Application
    
        a. The purpose of this standard is to provide equipment 
    specification for only the recovery of HFC-134a refrigerant to be 
    returned to a refrigerant reclamation facility that will process it 
    to ARI Standard 700-93 or allow for the recycling of the recovered 
    refrigerant to SAE J2210 specifications by using Design Certified 
    equipment of the same ownership. It is not acceptable that the 
    refrigerant removed from a mobile air-conditioning system with this 
    equipment be directly returned to a mobile air-conditioning system.
        b. This information applies to equipment used to service 
    automobiles, light trucks, and other vehicles with similar HFC-134a 
    air-conditioning systems. 
    
    [[Page 9030]]
    
    
    Reference Section
    
        SAE J639--Vehicle Service Coupling.
        SAE J2210--HFC-134a Recycling Equipment for Mobile Automotive 
    Air Conditioning Systems.
        SAE J2196--Service Hoses for Automotive Air-Conditioning.
        ARI 700-93--Specifications for Fluorocarbon Refrigerants.
        CGA Pamphlet S-1.1--Pressure Relief Device Standard Part 1--
    Cylinders for Compressed Gases.
        UL 1769--Cylinder Valves.
        49 CFR 173.304 --Shippers--General Requirements for Shipment and 
    Packagings.
    
        10. Appendix E is added to Subpart B to read as follows:
    
    Appendix E to Part 82, Subpart B--The Standard for Automotive 
    Refrigerant Recycling Equipment Intended for Use with both CFC-12 and 
    HFC-134a
    
        SAE J2211, Recommended Service Procedure for the Containment of 
    HFC-134a, as set forth under Appendix C of this subpart, and SAE 
    J1989, Recommended Service Procedure for the Containment of CFC-12, 
    as set forth under Appendix A of this subpart, also apply to this 
    Appendix E.
        SAE J1770, issued December, 1995.
    
    Automotive Refrigerant Recycle Equipment Intended for Use with Both 
    CFC-12 and HFC-134a
    
    Foreword
    
        The purpose of this standard is to establish specific minimum 
    equipment requirements for automotive refrigerant recycling 
    equipment intended for use with both CFC-12 and HFC-134a in a common 
    refrigerant circuit. Establishing such specifications will assure 
    that this equipment does not cross contaminate refrigerant above 
    specified limits when used under normal operating conditions.
    
    1. Scope
    
        The purpose of this standard is to establish the specific 
    minimum equipment intended for use with both CFC-12 and HFC-134a in 
    a common refrigerant circuit that has been directly removed from, 
    and is intended for reuse in, mobile air-conditioning (A/C) systems. 
    This standard does not apply to equipment used for CFC-12 and HFC-
    134a having a common enclosure with separate circuits for each 
    refrigerant.
    
    2. References
    
        2.1  Applicable Documents--The following publications form a 
    part of this specification to the extent specified. The latest issue 
    of SAE publications shall apply.
        2.1.1  SAE Publications--Available from SAE, 400 Commonwealth 
    Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001.
        SAE J2099--Standard of Purity for Recycled HFC-134a for Use in 
    Mobile Air-Conditioning Systems.
        SAE 1991--Standard of Purity for Use in Mobile Air-Conditioning 
    Systems.
        SAE J2196--Service Hoses for Automotive Air-Conditioning.
        SAE J2197--Service Hose Fittings for Automotive Air-
    Conditioning.
        SAE J2210--HFC-134a (R-134a) Recycling Equipment for Mobile A/C 
    Systems.
        SAE J1990--Extraction and Recycling Equipment for Mobile A/C 
    Systems.
        2.1.2  Compressed Gas Association (CGA) Publications--Available 
    from CGA, 1235 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202.
        CGA Pamphlet S-1.1--Pressure Relief Device Standard Part 1--
    Cylinders for Compressed Gases.
        2.1.3  DOT Publications--Available from the Superintendent of 
    Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.
        2.1.4  UL Publications--Available from Underwriters 
    Laboratories, 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-2096.
        UL 1769--Cylinder Valves.
        UL 1963--Refrigerant Recovery/Recycling Equipment.
    
    3. Specification and General Description
    
        3.1  The equipment shall be suitable for use in an automotive 
    service garage environment and be capable of continuous operation in 
    ambients from 10 to 49  deg.C.
        3.2  The equipment must be certified that it meets this 
    specification by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), or by an 
    equivalent Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).
        3.3  The equipment shall have a label which states ``Design 
    Certified by (Certifying Agent) to meet SAE J1770 for recycling CFC-
    12 and HFC-134a using common refrigerant circuits'', in bold-type 
    letters a minimum of 3 mm in height.
    
    4. Equipment Requirements
    
        4.1  General.
        4.1.1  The equipment shall be capable of preventing cross 
    contamination to the level required by Section 9.2.1.G before an 
    operation involving a different refrigerant can begin. The equipment 
    must prevent initiation of the recovery operation if the equipment 
    is not set up properly.
        4.1.2  If an operator action is required to clear the unit prior 
    to reconnecting for a different refrigerant, the equipment shall be 
    provided with a means which indicates which refrigerant was last 
    processed.
        4.1.3  Means shall be provided to prevent recovery from both an 
    CFC-12 and HFC-134a mobile air conditioning system concurrently.
        4.1.4  Transfer of recycled refrigerant--Recycled refrigerant 
    for recharging and transfer shall be taken from the liquid phase 
    only.
        4.2 Seat Leakage Test.
        4.2.1  Valves, including electrically operated solenoid valves, 
    that are used to isolate CFC-12 and HFC-134a refrigerant circuits, 
    shall have a seat leakage rate not exceeding 15 g/yr (\1/2\ oz/yr) 
    before and after 100,000 cycles of operation. This Endurance Test 
    shall be conducted with HFC-134a at maximum operating pressure as 
    determined by sections 8.1 and 8.2. The Seat Leakage Test shall be 
    performed at 1.5 times this pressure at an ambient of 24  deg.C.
        4.3  Interlocks.
        4.3.1  Electrical interlock devices used to prevent cross 
    contamination of refrigerant shall be operated for 100,000 cycles 
    and there shall be no failure that would permit cross contamination 
    of refrigerant. Solid state interlock devices shall comply with the 
    Transient Overvoltage Test and the Fast Transient (Electric Noise) 
    Test contained in the Standard for Tests for Safety Related Controls 
    Employing Solid-State Devices, UL 991.
        4.4  Noncondensable Gases
        4.4.1  The equipment shall either automatically purge 
    noncondensables (NCGs) if the acceptable level is exceeded or 
    incorporate a device that indicates to the operator the NCG level 
    has been exceeded. A pressure gauge used to indicate an NCG level 
    shall be readable in 1 psig increments. NCG removal must be part of 
    the normal operation of the equipment and instructions must be 
    provided to enable the task to be accomplished within 30 minutes.
        4.4.2  Refrigerant loss from noncondensable gas purging, oil 
    removal, and refrigerant clearing shall not exceed more than 5 
    percent by weight of the total amount of refrigerant through the 
    equipment as detailed in Sections 8.1, 8.2, and 9.2.
        4.5  Filter.
        4.5.1  A 15 micron filter, or other equivalent means, to remove 
    particulates of 15 micrometers spherical diameter or greater shall 
    be located before any manual electrically operated valves that may 
    cause cross contamination.
        4.6  Moisture and Acid.
        4.6.1  The equipment shall incorporate a desiccant package that 
    must be replaced before saturated with moisture, and whose acid 
    capacity is at least 5% by weight of the dry desiccant.
        4.6.2  The equipment shall be provided with a moisture detection 
    means that will reliably indicate when moisture in the HFC-134a 
    exceeds 50 ppm, or in the CFC-12 exceeds 15 ppm, and requires the 
    filter/dryer replacement.
    
    5.  Operating Instructions
    
        5.1  The equipment manufacturer must provide operating 
    instructions, including proper attainment of vehicle system vacuum 
    (i.e., when to stop the extraction process, and also to stop the 
    extraction process if it is noticed that the A/C system being 
    serviced has a leak), filter/desiccant replacement, and purging of 
    noncondensable gases (air). The instructions shall indicate that the 
    correct sequence of operation be followed so that the equipment can 
    properly remove contaminates to the acceptable level. Also to be 
    included are any other necessary maintenance procedures, source 
    information for replacement parts and repair, and safety 
    precautions.
        5.2  The equipment must prominently display the manufacturer's 
    name, address, the type of refrigerant (CFC-12 and HFC-134a), a 
    service telephone number, and the part number for the replacement 
    filter/drier. Operation manuals must cover information for complete 
    maintenance of the equipment to assure proper operation.
    
    6. Safety Requirements
    
        6.1  The equipment must comply with applicable federal, state, 
    and local requirements on equipment related to handling CFC-12 and 
    HFC-134a material. 
    
    [[Page 9031]]
    Safety precautions or notices related to the safe operation of the 
    equipment shall be prominently displayed on the equipment and should 
    also state ``CAUTION--SHOULD BE OPERATED BY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL''.
        6.2  HFC-134a has been shown to be nonflammable at ambient 
    temperature and atmospheric pressure. The following statement shall 
    be in the operating manual: ``Caution: HFC-134a service equipment or 
    vehicle A/C systems should not be pressure tested or leak tested 
    with compressed air. Some mixtures of air and HFC-134a have been 
    shown to be combustible at elevated pressures (when contained in a 
    pipe or tank). These mixtures may potentially dangerous, causing 
    injury or property damage. Additional health and safety information 
    may be obtained from refrigerant and lubricant manufacturers.''
    
    7. Functional Description
    
        7.1  General.
        7.1.1  The equipment must be capable of ensuring recovery of the 
    CFC-12 and HFC-134a from the system being serviced, by reducing the 
    system to minimum of 102 mm of mercury below atmospheric pressure 
    (i.e., vacuum).
        7.1.2  The equipment must be compatible with leak detection 
    material that may be present in the mobile A/C system.
        7.2  Shut Off Device.
        7.2.1  To prevent overcharge, the equipment must be equipped to 
    protect the tank used to store the recycled refrigerant with a 
    shutoff device and a mechanical pressure relief valve.
        7.3  Storage Tanks.
        7.3.1  Portable refillable tanks or containers shall be supplied 
    with this equipment and must be labeled ``HFC-134a'' or ``CFC-12'' 
    as appropriate, meet applicable Department of Transportation (DOT) 
    or NRTL's Standards and be adaptable to existing refrigerant service 
    and charging equipment.
        7.3.2  The cylinder valve shall comply with the Standard for 
    Cylinder Valves, UL 1769.
        7.3.3  The pressure relief device shall comply with the Pressure 
    Relief Device Standard Part 1--Cylinders for Compressed Gases, CGA 
    Pamphlet S-1.1.
        7.3.4  The tank assembly shall be marked to indicate the first 
    retest date, which shall be 5 years after the date of manufacture. 
    The marking shall indicate that retest must be performed every 
    subsequent 5 years. The marking shall be in letters at least 6 mm 
    high.
        7.4  Overfill Protection.
        7.4.1  During operation, the equipment must provide overfill 
    protection to assure that during filling or transfer, the tank or 
    storage container cannot exceed 80% of volume at 21.1  deg.C of its 
    maximum rating as defined by DOT standards, 49 CFR 173.304 and 
    American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
        7.5  Hoses and Connections.
        7.5.1  Separate inlet and outlet hoses with fittings and 
    separate connections shall be provided for each refrigerant circuit.
        7.5.2  All flexible hoses and fittings must meet SAE J2196 (for 
    CFC-12) and SAE J2197 (for HFC-134a).
        7.5.3  Service hoses must have shutoff devices located within 30 
    cm of the connection point to the system being serviced.
        7.6  Lubricant Separation.
        7.6.1  The equipment must be able to separate the lubricant from 
    the removed refrigerant and accurately indicate the amount of 
    lubricant removed during the process, in 30 ml (1 fl oz) units. 
    Refrigerant dissolves in lubricant and, as a result, increases the 
    volume of the recovered lubricant sample. This creates the illusion 
    that more lubricant has been recovered than actually has been. The 
    equipment lubricant measuring system must take into account such 
    dissolved refrigerant removed from the A/C system being serviced to 
    prevent overcharging the vehicle system with lubricant. (Note: Use 
    only new lubricant to replace the amount removed during the 
    recycling process. Used lubricant should be discarded per applicable 
    federal, state and local requirements.)
        7.6.2  The equipment must be provided with some means, such as a 
    lockout device, which will prevent initiation of the recovery 
    operation after switching to the other refrigerant, if the lubricant 
    has not been drained from the oil separator.
    
    8. Testing
    
        8.0  Equipment shall be tested in sequence as noted in sections 
    8.1, 8.2 and 9.2. The filter/dryer may be replaced only as noted by 
    section 4.6.2.
        8.1  CFC-12 Recycling Cycle.
        8.1.1  The maximum operating pressure of the equipment shall be 
    determined when recycling CFC-12 while conducting the following 
    tests. This pressure is needed for the Seat Leakage Test, Section 
    4.2.
        8.1.2  The equipment must be preconditioned with 13.6 kg of the 
    standard contaminated CFC-12 (see section 8.1.2a) at an ambient of 
    21  deg.C before starting the test cycle. Sample amounts shall be 
    1.13 kg with sample amounts to be repeated every 5 minutes. The 
    sample method fixture, defined in Figure 1 to Appendix A of this 
    subpart, shall be operated at 21  deg.C.
        8.1.2a  Standard contaminated CFC-12 refrigerant shall consist 
    of liquid CFC-12 with 100 ppm (by weight) moisture at 21 deg.C and 
    45,000 ppm (by weight) mineral oil 525 suspension viscosity nominal 
    and 770 ppm by weight of noncondensable gases (air).
        8.1.3  The high moisture contaminated sample shall consist of 
    CFC-12 vapor with 1000 ppm (by weight) moisture.
        8.1.4  The high oil contaminated sample shall consist of CFC-12 
    with 200,000 ppm (by weight) mineral oil 525 suspension viscosity 
    nominal.
        8.1.5  After preconditioning as stated in section 8.1.2, the 
    test cycle is started, processing the following contaminated samples 
    through the equipment.
        A. 13.6 kg (1.13 kg per batch) of standard contaminated CFC-12.
        B. 1 kg of high oil contaminated CFC-12.
        C. 4.5 kg (1.13 kg per batch) of standard contaminated CFC-12.
        D. 1 kg of high moisture contaminated CFC-12.
        8.1.6  The CFC-12 is to be cleaned to the minimum purity level, 
    as defined in SAE J1991, with the equipment operating in a stable 
    ambient of 10, 21, and 49  deg.C and processing the samples as 
    defined in section 8.1.5.
        8.2  HFC-134a Recycling Cycle.
        8.2.1  The maximum operating pressure of the equipment shall be 
    determined when recycling HFC-134a while conducting the following 
    tests. This pressure is needed for the Seat Leakage Test, Section 
    4.2.
        8.2.2  The equipment must be preconditioned by processing 13.6 
    kg of the standard contaminated HFC-134a (see section 8.2.2a) at an 
    ambient of 21  deg.C before starting the test cycle. 1.13 kg samples 
    are to be processed at 5 minute intervals. The text fixture shown in 
    Figure 1 to Appendix A of this subpart shall be operated at 21  
    deg.C.
        8.2.2a  The standard contaminated refrigerant shall consist of 
    liquid HFC-134a with 1300 ppm (by weight) moisture (equivalent to 
    saturation at 38  deg.[100  deg.F]), 45,000 ppm (by weight) HFC-134a 
    compatible lubricant, and 1000 ppm (by weight) of noncondensable 
    gases (air).
        8.2.2b  The HFC-134a compatible lubricant referred to in section 
    8.2.2a shall be a polyalkylene glycol based synthetic lubricant or 
    equivalent, which shall contain no more than 1000 ppm by weight of 
    moisture.
        8.2.3  Following the preconditioning procedure per section 
    8.2.2, 18.2 kg of standard contaminated HFC-134a are to be processed 
    by the equipment at each stable ambient temperature of 10, 21, and 
    49  deg.C.
        8.2.4  The HFC-134a is to be cleaned to the purity level, as 
    defined in SAE J2099.
    
    9. Refrigerant Cross Contamination Test
    
        9.1  General.
        9.1.1  For test validation, the equipment is to be operated 
    according to the manufacturer's instruction.
        9.1.2  The equipment shall clean the contaminated CFC-12 
    refrigerant to the minimum purity level as defined in Appendix A of 
    this subpart, when tested in accordance with the requirements in 
    section 8.1.
        9.1.3  The equipment shall clean the contaminated HFC-134a 
    refrigerant to the purity level defined in Appendix C of this 
    subpart, when tested in accordance with the requirements in section 
    8.2.
        9.2  Test Cycle.
        9.2.1  The following method shall be used after the tests and 
    requirements in Sections 8.1 and 8.2, respectively, are completed. 
    Following the manufacturer's instructions, the equipment shall be 
    cleared of HFC-134a, prior to beginning step A. The only refrigerant 
    used for this is noted in steps A, C, and E of this section 9.2.1. 
    The test fixture shown in Figure 1 to Appendix A of this subpart 
    shall be used and the test shall be conducted at 10, 21, and 49  
    deg.C ambients.
        A. A 1.13 kg standard contaminated sample of CFC-12 (see section 
    8.1.2a) shall be processed by the equipment.
        B. Follow manufacturer's instructions to clear the equipment of 
    CFC-12 before processing HFC-134a.
        C. Process a 1.13 kg, standard contaminated sample of HFC-134a 
    (see section 8.2.2a) through the equipment. 
    
    [[Page 9032]]
    
        D. Follow manufacturer's instructions to clear the equipment of 
    HFC-134a before processing CFC-12.
        E. Process a 1.13 kg standard contaminated sample of CFC-12 (see 
    section 8.1.2a) through the equipment.
        F. Follow manufacturer's instructions to clear the equipment of 
    CFC-12.
        G. The amount of cross contaminated refrigerant, as determined 
    by gas chromatography, in samples processed during steps C and E, 
    shall not exceed 0.5 percent by weight.
    
    10. Sample Analysis
    
        10.1  General.
        10.1.1  The processed contaminated samples shall be analyzed 
    according to the following procedure.
        10.2  Quantitative Determination of Moisture.
        10.2.1  The recycled liquid phase sample of refrigerant shall be 
    analyzed for moisture content via Karl Fischer coulometer titration 
    or an equivalent method. The Karl Fischer apparatus is an instrument 
    for precise determination of small amounts of water dissolved in 
    liquid and/or gas samples.
        10.2.2  In conducting the test, a weighed sample of 30 to 130 g 
    is vaporized directly into the Karl Fischer anolyte. A coulometer 
    titration is conducted and the results are calculated and displayed 
    as parts per million moisture (weight).
        10.3  Determination of Percent Lubricant.
        10.3.1  The amount of lubricant in the recycled sample of 
    refrigerant/lubricant is to be determined by gravimetric analysis.
        10.3.2  Following venting of noncondensable, in accordance with 
    the manufacturer's operating instructions, the refrigerant container 
    shall be shaken for 5 minutes prior to extracting samples for test.
        10.3.3  A weighed sample of 175 to 225 g of liquid refrigerant/ 
    lubricant is allowed to evaporate at room temperature. The percent 
    lubricant is to be calculated from the weight of the original sample 
    and the residue remaining after the evaporation.
        10.4  Noncondensable Gas.
        10.4.1  The amount of noncondensable gas is to be determined by 
    gas chromatography. A sample of vaporized refrigerant liquid shall 
    be separated and analyzed by gas chromatography. A Propak Q column 
    at 130 deg.C and a hot wire detector may be used for analysis.
        10.4.2  This test shall be conducted on liquid phase samples of 
    recycled refrigerant taken from a full container as defined in 
    section 7.4 within 30 minutes following the proper venting of 
    noncondensable gases.
        10.4.3  The samples shall be shaken for at least 15 minutes 
    prior to testing while at a temperature of 24 deg.C  
    2.8 deg.C.
        10.5  Refrigerant Cross Contamination.
        10.5.1  The amount of cross contamination of CFC-12 in HFC-134a 
    or HFC-134a in CFC-12 shall not exceed 0.5 percent by weight as 
    determined by gas chromatography. A sample of vaporized refrigerant 
    liquid shall be separated and analyzed by gas chromatography. A 1% 
    SP-1000 on Carbopack B (60/80 mesh) column may be used for the 
    analysis.
    
        11. Appendix F is added to Subpart B to read as follows:
    
    Appendix F to Part 82, Subpart B--Standard for Recover-only Equipment 
    That Extracts Class I or Class II Refrigerants Other Than CFC-12
    
    Foreword
    
        These specifications are for extraction only equipment used to 
    service FRIGCTM FR-12 or other class I or class II refrigerants 
    other than CFC-12.
    
    1. Scope
    
        The purpose of this standard is to provide equipment 
    specifications for the recovery of FRGCTM FR-12 or other class 
    I or class II refrigerants other than CFC-12 which are either (1) to 
    be returned to a refrigerant reclamation facility that will process 
    the refrigerant to ARI Standard 700-93 or equivalent new product 
    specifications at a minimum, or (2) to be recycled in other EPA 
    approved recycling equipment (in the event that EPA in the future 
    designates a standard for equipment capable of recycling FRGCTM 
    FR-12 or other class I or class II refrigerant, as appropriate). It 
    is not acceptable that the refrigerant removed from a mobile air 
    conditioning system, with this equipment be directly returned to 
    mobile air conditioning system. This standard applies to equipment 
    used to service automobiles, light trucks, and other vehicles with 
    similar air conditioning systems.
    
    2. References
    
        2.1  Applicable Documents--The following publications form a 
    part of this specification to the extent specified. The latest issue 
    of SAE publications shall apply.
        2.1.1  SAE Publications--Available from SAE, 400 Commonwealth 
    Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001.
        SAE J639-Vehicle Service Coupling.
        SAE J2196-Service Hoses for Automotive Air-Conditioning 
    (fittings modified).
        2.1.2  ARI Publication--Available from Air Conditioning and 
    Refrigeration Institute, 1501 Wilson Boulevard, Sixth Floor, 
    Arlington, VA 22209.
        ARI 700-93--Specifications for Fluorocarbon Refrigerants.
        2.1.3  Compressed Gas Association (CGA) Publications--Available 
    from CGA, 1235 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202.
        CGA Pamphlet S-1.1--Pressure Relief Device Standard Part 1--
    Cylinders for Compressed Gases.
        2.1.4  DOT Publications--Available from the Superintendent of 
    Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.
        DOT Standard, 49 CFR 173.304--Shippers--General Requirements for 
    Shipments and Packagings.
        2.1.5  UL Publications--Available from Underwriters 
    Laboratories, 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-2096.
        UL 1769--Cylinder Valves.
        UL 1963--Refrigerant Recovery Recycling Equipment.
    
    3.  Specifications and General Description
    
        3.1  The equipment must be able to extract from a mobile air 
    conditioning system FRIGCTM FR-12 or another class I or class 
    II refrigerant other than CFC-12 to which the equipment is 
    dedicated.
        3.2  The equipment shall be suitable for use in an automotive 
    service garage environment as defined in section 6.8.
        3.3  The equipment discharge or transfer fitting shall be unique 
    to prevent the unintentional use of the extracted refrigerant for 
    recharging auto air conditioners.
        3.4  Equipment Certification--The equipment shall be certified 
    by Underwriters Laboratories or and equivalent certifying laboratory 
    to meet this standard.
        3.5 Label Requirements--The equipment shall have a label 
    ``Designed Certified by (Company Name) to meet EPA requirements for 
    use only with (the applicable refrigerant). The refrigerant from 
    this equipment must be processed to ARI 700-93 specifications or 
    equivalent new product specifications before reuse in a mobile air-
    conditioning system.'' The minimum letter size shall be bold type 3 
    mm in height.
    
    4. Safety Requirements
    
        4.1  The equipment must comply with applicable federal, state, 
    and local requirements on equipment related to the handling of the 
    applicable refrigerant material. Safety precautions or notices or 
    labels related to the safe operation of the equipment shall also be 
    prominently displayed on the equipment and should state ``CAUTION--
    SHOULD BE OPERATED BY CERTIFIED PERSONNEL''. The safety 
    identification shall be located on the front near the controls.
        4.2  The equipment must comply with applicable safety standards 
    for electrical and mechanical requirements.
    
    5. Operating Instructions
    
        5.1  The equipment manufacturer must provide operating 
    instructions that include information equivalent to that required by 
    SAE J1629, necessary maintenance procedures, and source information 
    for replacement parts and repair.
        5.1.1  The instruction manual shall include the following 
    information on the lubricant removed: Only new lubricant, as 
    identified by the system manufacturer, should be replaced in the air 
    conditioning system. Removed lubricant from the system and/or the 
    equipment shall be disposed on in accordance with the applicable 
    federal, state, and local procedures and regulations.
        5.2  The equipment must prominently display the manufacturer's 
    name, address, the type of refrigerant it is designed to extract, a 
    service telephone number, and any items that require maintenance or 
    replacement that affect the proper operation of the equipment. 
    Operation manuals must cover information for complete maintenance of 
    the equipment to assure proper operation.
    
    6. Functional Description
    
        6.1  The equipment must be capable of ensuring removal of 
    refrigerant from the system being serviced by reducing the system 
    pressure to a minimum of 102 mm (4 in) of mercury below atmospheric 
    pressure (i.e., to a vacuum). To prevent system delayed outgassing, 
    the unit must have a device that assures that the refrigerant has 
    been recovered from the air-conditioning system.
        6.1.1  Testing laboratory certification of the equipment 
    capability is required which 
    
    [[Page 9033]]
    shall process contaminated refrigerant samples at specific 
    temperatures.
        6.2  The equipment must be preconditioned by processing 13.6 kg 
    (30 lb) of the standard contaminated refrigerant at an ambient of 21 
     deg.C (70  deg.F) before starting the test cycle. Sample amounts 
    are not to exceed 1.13 kg (2.5 lb) with sample amounts to be 
    processed at 5 min intervals. The test method fixture, depicted in 
    Figure 1 to Appendix A of this subpart, shall be operated at 21  
    deg.C (70  deg.F). Contaminated refrigerant samples shall be 
    processed at ambient temperatures of 10 and 49  deg.C, without 
    equipment shutting due to any safety devices employed in this 
    equipment.
        6.2.1  Standard contaminated refrigerant, 13.6 kg (30 lb) sample 
    size, shall consist of liquid refrigerant with 1300 ppm (by weight) 
    moisture at 21  deg.C and 45,000 ppm (by weight) of oil (mineral oil 
    and POE) and 1000 ppm by weight of noncondensable gases (air).
        6.3  Portable refillable containers used in conjunction with 
    this equipment must meet applicable DOT Standards.
        6.3.1  The container color must be colored (with the applicable 
    ARI color code for the specific refrigerant) with a yellow top to 
    identify that it contains used refrigerant. It must be permanently 
    marked on the outside surface in black print at least 20 mm high 
    ``DIRTY [NAME OF REFRIGERANT]--DO NOT USE, MUST BE PROCESSED''.
        6.3.2  The portable refillable container shall have a unique 
    thread connection for the specific refrigerant.
        6.3.3  During operation, the equipment shall provide overfill 
    protection to assure that the storage container liquid fill does not 
    exceed 80% of the tank's rated volume at 21  deg.C per DOT Standard, 
    49 CFR 173.304, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
        6.4  Additional Storage Tank Requirements.
        6.4.1  The cylinder valve shall comply with UL 1769.
        6.4.2  The pressure relief device shall comply with CGA Pamphlet 
    S-1.1.
        6.4.3  The container assembly shall be marked to indicate the 
    first retest date, which shall be 5 years after date of manufacture. 
    The marking shall indicate that retest must be performed every 
    subsequent 5 years. The marking shall be in letters at least 6 mm 
    high.
        6.5  All flexible hoses must meet SAE J2196 for service hoses 
    except that fittings shall be unique to the applicable refrigerant.
        6.6  Service hoses must have shutoff devices located within 30 
    cm of the connection point to the system being serviced to minimize 
    introduction of noncondensable gases into the recovery equipment 
    during connection and the release of the refrigerant during 
    disconnection.
        6.7  The equipment must be able to separate the lubricant from 
    the recovered refrigerant and accurately indicate the amount removed 
    from the simulated automotive system during processing in 30 ml 
    units.
        6.7.1  The purpose of indicating the amount of lubricant is to 
    ensure that a proper amount of new lubricant is returned to the 
    mobile air conditioning system for compressor lubrication.
        6.7.2  Refrigerant dissolved in this lubricant must be accounted 
    for to prevent system lubricant overcharge of the mobile air-
    conditioning system.
        6.8  The equipment must be capable of continuous operation in 
    temperatures of 10 to 49  deg.C and must comply with sections 6.1 
    and 6.2.
        7. For test validation, the equipment is to be operated 
    according to the manufacturer's instructions.
    
    Application
    
        The purpose of this standard is to provide equipment 
    specifications for the recovery of any class I or class II 
    refrigerant other than CFC-12 for return to a refrigerant 
    reclamation facility that will process it to ARI Standard 700-93 (or 
    for recycling in other EPA approved recycling equipment, in the 
    event that EPA in the future designates a standard for equipment 
    capable of recycling FRIGC TM FR-12 or other class I or class 
    II refrigerant, as appropriate). It is not acceptable that the 
    refrigerant removed from a mobile air-conditioning system with this 
    equipment be directly returned to mobile air-conditioning system.
    
    Reference Section
    
        SAE J639--Vehicle Service Coupling.
        SAE J2196--Service Hoses for Automotive Air-Conditioning.
        ARI 700-93--Specifications for Fluorocarbon Refrigerants.
        CGA Pamphlet S-1.1--Pressure Relief Device Standard Part 1--
    Cylinders for Compressed Gases.
        UL 1769--Cylinder Valves.
        49 CFR 173.304--Shippers--General Requirements for Shipment and 
    Packagings.
    
    [FR Doc. 96-4033 Filed 3-5-96; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
    
    

Document Information

Published:
03/06/1996
Department:
Environmental Protection Agency
Entry Type:
Proposed Rule
Action:
Proposed rule.
Document Number:
96-4033
Dates:
Written comments on this proposed rule must be received by April 5, 1996, unless a hearing is requested by March 18, 1996. If a hearing is requested, written comments must be received 30 days after the hearing. Individuals wishing to request a hearing must contact the Stratospheric Ozone Information Hotline at 1-800-296-1996 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, Eastern time, by March 18, 1996. To find out whether a hearing will take place, contact the Stratospheric Ozone ...
Pages:
9014-9033 (20 pages)
Docket Numbers:
FRL-5426-1
RINs:
2060-AF35: Amendment to the MVAC Rule To Include All Refrigerants
RIN Links:
https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2060-AF35/amendment-to-the-mvac-rule-to-include-all-refrigerants
PDF File:
96-4033.pdf
CFR: (12)
40 CFR 82.32(b)
40 CFR 82.34(b)
40 CFR 82.152(c)
40 CFR 82.34(d)
40 CFR 82.32(e)
More ...