The phaseout of ozone-depleting refrigerants marches on. Take a look at what is and isn’t allowed, and when.
The EPA published two rules in December 2009 that restrict the production and import of HCFC-22 - also known as R-22 or Freon® - and banned the distribution and sale of precharged A/C and refrigeration equipment and components containing HCFC-22 or HCFC-142B in the U.S. beginning January 1, 2010.
According to the EPA, the first rule, titled the 2010 HCFC Allocation Rule, complies with the 2010 phasedown caps set under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The protocol was ratified in 1988 and led to the creation of Title VI, Stratospheric Ozone Protection of the Clean Air Act.
This amendment set a schedule to phase out the production and consumption of HCFCs in the U.S. and classified refrigerants in two classes: Class I or Class II. Class I refrigerants were phased out on January 1, 2000. HCFC-14b was banned on January 1, 2003. Class II refrigerants are being gradually phased out with a complete ban by 2030, Class II refrigerants include HCFC–22, HCFC–142b, HCFC–123, HCFC–124, HCFC–225ca, and HCFC–225cb.