California Air Resources Board

Distributors

Distributors who sell SF6 into California are required to report the sales from the previous calendar year annually to CARB by March 30 of the following year.

Ensure you have downloaded the most recent reporting spreadsheet, available via the blue button.

To register as a distributor, contact SF6 Reporting and include the following information:

• Business Name
• Address
• Contact Name
• Telephone Number
• Email
• Website

The “Regulation for Reducing Sulfur Hexafluoride Emissions” (17 CCR §§ 95340 through 95346) requires certain records and information to be kept and reported. Specifically §95345(e) requires distributors to report specified information. Distributors are ultimately responsible for meeting all the reporting requirements specified in Title 17, California Code of Regulations, §95345.

Please note that every claim that information is confidential must:

• specifically designate the information that is claimed as confidential;
• place information claimed to be confidential on a separate page from information that is not confidential, if possible; if a separate page is not possible, highlight the information claimed to be confidential;
• state the factual basis for the claim of confidentiality; and
• provide contact information (name, address, phone number, and email address) in the event CARB receives a request for disclosure of the information you claim to be confidential.

Entities Seeking a Research or General Exemption

Use of SF6 outside those explicitly exempted in the regulation is prohibited due to its high global warming potential. In order to use SF6 for a non-exempted purpose, entities must apply for an exemption with CARB. Each case will be reviewed individually and additional supporting documentation may be requested to ensure the necessity of SF6 usage.

Entities with exemptions are required to report annually, as detailed in their exemption letter. Reports for the previous calendar year are due by March 30 of the following year and should include the details outlined in your exemption approval.

To apply for an exemption, please contact SF6 Reporting with the information required of distributors listed above, as well as answers to the following:

• Duration of exemption requested.
• Describe how SF6 is used.
• How much SF6 would be used and how much would be emitted annually?
• How much SF6 have you used annually over the last 3 years in this application(s)?
• Will the use of SF6 result in less greenhouse gas emissions over the lifetime of the equipment, facility, or process than the use of all other alternatives?  Please explain.
• What are the alternatives that can be substituted for SF6? 
• Are there problems with using these substitutes?  Please explain.
• In using SF6, do you recover the SF6 after the application for re-use or recycle?  If not, would it be possible to do this?

Please include any supporting information, calculations, estimates, and test data that supports the company’s request for exemption. The applicant must show that either SF6 usage will result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions or that there are no viable alternatives. In addition, include the test methods that were used in generating any test data.usage will result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions or that there are no viable alternatives. In addition, include the test methods that were used in generating any test data.

CARB may request additional information as need to determine the necessity of an exemption.