HCFC manufacture to be reduced by one-third on January 1

January 1, 2004 marks the point when the annual amount of new or “virgin” HCFCs allowed to be imported into or manufactured in Canada must be reduced by 35%.
HCFCs are used extensively in air-conditioning and refrigerating equipment, but are a controlled substance under the 1999 Canadian Environmental Protection Act because of their potential for depleting the ozone layer that protects the earth’s atmosphere.
The Canadian government has adopted the phase-out schedule for HCFCs based on the terms of the Montreal Protocol and a baseline established in 1996. Before January 1, 2004, the annual amount of HCFCs available for sale in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry was approximately three million kilograms. Thereafter it will be reduced annually by approximately two million kilograms.
The Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Association of Canada (HRAI) has produced a power point presentation entitled “The Challenge: Moving Away from HCFC Refrigerants” which is intended as a tool to be used by industry associations, chapters and users to educate people on the implications of the HCFC phase out. It includes information on the phase-out schedule, and HCFC alternatives. The presentation can be downloaded from www.hrai.ca/hcfcphaseout (select “HCFC Communication Resources”), or call April Gucciardo at 905-602-4700.