Hcfc Consumption Cap Problems

Store Equipment & Design, June, 2000

Data for last year indicates the United States is at 92 percent of its consumption limit for HCFCs as established by the Montreal Protocol. This has so concerned the EPA that it is considering an HCFC allocation system for U.S. producers of the gas.

At present, there is no mechanism to ensure that the United States remains in compliance with the Protocol. According to the ASHRAE Journal, the EPA is likely to issue a proposed rule by mid-summer with a provision for immediate emergency implementation if the cap level is threatened.