Proposed EPA Ruling to Have
Profound Impact on HVACR Industry

The EPA has published a proposed ruling this month that will have a profound, and immediate impact on the HVACR industry. On January 4th the EPA's proposed ruling, "Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Adjustments to the Allowance System for Controlling HCFC Production, Import, and Export", laid out a proposal that would reduce the supply of R-22 by millions of pounds per year, and this is in addition to the originally scheduled reduction of 10% per year.

The proposed adjustments will range from 11-47% per year beginning in 2012, and ending in 2014. Even though it will be months before the EPA publishes a final ruling, the news has ignited activity in the already volatile refrigerant market sending the price of R-22 skyward and forcing producers to reevaluate their allocation priorities. Some speculate that R-22 pricing, as well as refrigerant blends that contain any quantity of an HCFC, will increase substantially.

Click Here for more information on the EPA's phaseout of HCFCs