Deadlines to Phase Out Some HFCs Too Aggressive, Whitfield Tells EPA

摘要

The Environmental Protection Agency set unrealistic deadlines when it proposed phasing out use of some refrigerants with high global warming potential, a senior House Republican said in an April 1 letter. Manufacturers will not be able to replace hydrofluo-rocarbon (HFC) refrigerants with cost-effective alternatives beginning Jan. 1, 2016, when the EPA's proposal would begin phasing out their use, Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power, said in his letter. "I understand that manufacturers of this equipment are in near-unanimity that replacing HFCs as refrigerants by this date is impossible," Whitfield said. "EPA asserts that acceptable alternatives can quickly replace the delisted HFCs with minimal modifications, but in most cases the proposed rule will necessitate major product redesigns."