California Air Resources Board

The Refrigerant Management Program (RMP) regulation includes certain record-keeping, registration and reporting requirements as well as prohibitions and required service practices applicable to the use of all high global warming potential (high-GWP) refrigerants.

Recordkeeping

Distributors/wholesalers and reclaimers of high-GWP refrigerants are required to keep records (Section 95393)

• Retain on-site for at least 5 years all invoices of refrigerant received or distributed through sale or transfer;
• Retain on-site for at least 5 years all Annual Reports submitted pursuant to Section 95392;
• Invoices must include names, contact information, date and the types and quantities of all high-GWP refrigerant transactions;
• Records of refrigerant sales or transfers to a company that services refrigeration systems must include documentation showing that the company currently employs at least one U.S. EPA-certified technician (retain records on-site at least five years);
• Records must be made available to an authorized representative of the Executive Officer upon request.

Annual Reporting

Annual Reporting is required (Section 95392)

• Report previous year’s high-GWP refrigerant transactions by March 1 as specified in the regulation
• Must cover cover all California facilities under operational control

Prohibitions

Prohibitions must be carefully observed (Section 95391)

• On or after January 1, 2011, no person shall sell, supply, offer for sale, or distribute any high-GWP refrigerant for use as a refrigerant, unless for reclamation or destruction, in a container with a refrigerant capacity of two pounds or greater unless:
  • The buyer is a certified technician; or
  • Is an authorized representative of a person employing at least one certified technician who is certified; or
  • The refrigerant is sold only for eventual resale to a certified technician, an employer of a certified technician, or a refrigeration or air-conditioning appliance manufacturer; or
  • The refrigerant is contained in a refrigeration or air-conditioning appliance.
• No person shall sell, supply, offer for sale, or distribute used high-GWP refrigerant to any person for use as a refrigerant unless the used refrigerant has first been reclaimed by a certified reclaimer.
• No person shall sell, supply, offer for sale, or distribute any high-GWP refrigerant unless such refrigerant: (1) consists wholly of a class I or class II substance or (2) is an alternative that has been found acceptable, under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program for the specific refrigeration or air-conditioning end-use in which it is being employed; or (3) has been approved by the Executive Officer for the specific refrigeration or air-conditioning end-use in which it is being employed.
• No person shall recycle or dispose of a non-refillable cylinder before the non-refillable cylinder has been evacuated to a vacuum of 15 inches of mercury, relative to standard atmospheric pressure of 29.9 inches of mercury.  
• No person shall distribute or sell certified refrigerant recovery or recycling equipment unless such equipment meets the levels of evacuation to be achieved by recovery or recycling equipment as specified in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 82, §82.158.
• No person shall refill a non-refillable cylinder or use it as a temporary receiver during service.
• No person shall repair or modify a non-refillable cylinder in any way that allows the non-refillable cylinder to be refilled.

Required Service Practices

Distributors/wholesalers and reclaimers of high-GWP refrigerants must observe all required service practices with regard to any person installing or servicing any appliance that uses a high-GWP refrigerant as specified in the regulation (Section 95390).

"Appliance" includes any device which contains and uses a high-GWP refrigerant, including any air conditioner, refrigerator, chiller, freezer, or refrigeration system.

A person performing any installation, maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of stationary appliances that could release high-GWP refrigerant must satisfy all of the following:

• Must not intentionally discharge refrigerants into the atmosphere – must make a recovery attempt using certified refrigerant recovery or recycling equipment.
• Must not add any refrigerant to a refrigeration or air-conditioning appliance unless:
  • It is a class I or class II substance (section 602 of Clean Air Act);
  • It is an alternative found acceptable under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP, section 612 of Clean Air Act) for that specific system;
  • Has been approved by the California Air Resources Board for use in that specific system.
• Must not add any refrigerant to any appliance known to have a leak except when required to maintain operations while preparing or conducting a leak repair.
• Must hold a current, valid and applicable U.S. EPA certificate and must use proper procedures
• Must make a recovery attempt using certified refrigerant recovery or recycling equipment for that type of appliance before opening the appliance to atmospheric conditions. Attempts to recover refrigerant must be made even if the person believes that all refrigerant has been removed or has previously leaked from the appliance. Refrigerant may be returned to the appliance from which it is recovered or to another appliance owned by the same person without being recycled or reclaimed
• Must employ procedures for which the certified refrigerant recovery or recycling equipment was approved by the U.S. EPA
• must use certified refrigerant recovery or recycling equipment as specified by the certified refrigerant recovery or recycling equipment manufacturer, unless the manufacturer's specifications conflict with the procedures approved by the U.S. EPA or the Executive Officer for the certified refrigerant recovery or recycling equipment
• Must evacuate refrigerant from a non-refillable cylinder to a vacuum of 15 inches of mercury, relative to standard atmospheric pressure of 29.9 inches of mercury, before to recycling or disposal