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The California Air Resources Board (CARB or Board) will conduct a public hearing at the date and time noted below to consider approving for adoption the proposed amendments to the Regulation for Small Containers of Automotive Refrigerant.
Date: October 26, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: California Environmental Protection Agency
California Air Resources Board | Byron Sher Auditorium
1001 I Street Sacramento, California 95814
This public meeting may continue at 9:00 a.m., on October 27, 2023. Please consult the public agenda, which will be posted ten days before the October 26, 2023, Board Meeting, for important details, including the day on which this item will be considered and how the public can participate via Zoom if they choose to be remote.
Background
In 2009, CARB approved for adoption the Regulation for Small Containers of Automotive Refrigerant (Regulation) as a discrete early action measure to reduce HFC-134a refrigerant emissions from Do-It-Yourself motor vehicle air conditioning (MVAC) servicing. The emission reductions are primarily achieved through two key regulatory requirements: a mandatory self-sealing valve and a deposit and return program. The Regulation was amended in 2016, clarifying the requirements for properly utilizing unclaimed deposits and expanding the scope of the enhanced education program.
Upon initial adoption of the Regulation, staff projected the quantity of refrigerant remaining in small containers upon return to be 22 percent of the container volume. After implementation of the Regulation, staff determined the actual amount remaining to be approximately 4 percent, resulting in lower emission reductions from the deposit and return program than originally estimated. Container manufacturers launched an enhanced education program from midway of 2018 through 2020, with the aim of increasing the container return rate. However, return rates showed little change.
Due to the low HFC-134a emission reductions from used container refrigerant recovery, unchanged return rates, and financial impacts to do-it-yourselfers, staff is proposing to remove the deposit and return program. In addition, staff is proposing requirements that reclaimed refrigerant be used in the manufacturing of small containers of automotive refrigerant sold in California to compensate for the emission reductions currently achieved by the deposit and return program. Revisions to the expenditure of unclaimed deposits will be aimed at MVAC repairs and increasing refrigerant recovery and reclamation in California.
Inquiries concerning the substance of the proposed regulatory action may be directed to the agency representative Dongmin Luo, Manager, at (916) 277-0834 or Van Tsan, Air Resources Engineer, at (279) 842-9951, both in the Air Quality and Climate Science Section.
The Notice, ISOR, and all subsequent regulatory documents are available on CARB's Rulemaking webpage.
Written Comment Period & Comment Submittal
In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, interested members of the public may present comments orally or in writing during the hearing and may provide comments by postal mail or by electronic submittal before the hearing. The public comment period for this regulatory action will begin on July 7, 2023. Written comments not submitted during the hearing must be submitted on or after July 7, 2023, and received no later than August 21, 2023. Comments submitted outside that comment period are considered untimely. CARB may, but is not required to, respond to untimely comments, including those raising significant environmental issues. The Board also encourages members of the public to bring to the attention of staff in advance of the hearing any suggestions for modification of the proposed regulatory action. Comments submitted in advance of the hearing must be addressed to one of the following:
Clerks' Office, California Air Resources Board
1001 I Street, Sacramento, California 95814
Please note that under the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 7920.000 et seq.), your written and oral comments, attachments, and associated contact information (e.g., your address, phone, email, etc.) become part of the public record and can be released to the public upon request.
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