Core: Regulations & Guidelines

True or False: The Clean Air Act states that it is a violation to purposely vent refrigerants that deplete ozone

True

After a refrigerant is phased out, can technicians still service existing systems that use it?

Yes, if they are 608 certified and use recovered or reclaimed refrigerant

In 2025, a technician repairs an R-22 system and needs to add refrigerant to finish the job. Since new production and imports are banned, which sources are allowed for servicing this equipment?

From stock reclaimed R-22

From stock recovered R-22 refrigerant only if recovered from the same customer's system

Under EPA Section 608, can used ozone-depleting refrigerants and non-exempt substitute refrigerants be resold to a new owner?

Yes, but only if it has been reclaimed by an EPA-certified reclaimer to AHRI Standard 700 purity specifications

Equipment has to be certified to EPA standards in order to recover which of the following refrigerants?

CFCs

HCFCs

HFCs

If you are selling R-22 refrigerant, who can you sell to?

A technician with Section 608 certification

A business that employs a technician with Section 608 certification

If you recover R-12 refrigerant, can you use the recovered refrigerant in another device owned by a different person?

Yes, but only if it has been reclaimed to AHRI Standard 700 specifications

In the United States, when were all CFCs phased out by?

1995

In the United States, when were R-22 and R-142b phased out?

2020

In the United States, by what year will the complete HCFC phaseout be finalized under EPA regulations?

2030

Which of the following information must be included in service records for equipment containing R-22 refrigerant?

Type of refrigerant used or recovered

Date of service

Quantity of refrigerant added or removed

Section 608 of the Clean Air Act is:

Federal law

Which statements about state and local regulations are true?

They must be followed in addition to federal CAA regulations

They may be stricter than federal CAA regulations

The Venting Prohibition requires that you recover affected refrigerant before

Opening equipment

Servicing equipment

Disposing of equipment

A scrap yard is taking in old rooftop units. Under Section 608, who must verify that all refrigerant has been removed before disposal?

The final person in the disposal chain

EPA Section 608 regulations apply to appliances that contain and use refrigerant. Which of the following is covered?

Freezers

What does SNAP stand for?

Significant New Alternatives Policy

On August 15, 2017, a contractor was cited for two separate Clean Air Act violations. If both violations continued for three days (Aug 15–17), what is the maximum total civil fine based on the 2017 penalty schedule?

$267,234

What change did the 2016 Kigali Amendment make to the Montreal Protocol?

Added a global phase-down schedule for HFCs due to their climate impact

What is the purpose of Section 608?

To protect the ozone layer

To regulate use of chemicals that deplete ozone

What is the purpose of SNAP?

To evaluate alternative refrigerants

To further the goals of the CAA

To consider effects of substitute refrigerants on humans

To consider effects of substitute refrigerants on the environment

What do you do if you discover that you have added Refrigerant B to a system that contained Refrigerant A? Consider that Refrigerant A is ozone-depleting.

Recover the mixture in a separate recovery cylinder

Under EPA regulations, who may perform refrigerant recovery from small appliances prior to final disposal?

Any individual using EPA-approved recovery equipment

What other appliances do Section 608 regulations apply to?

Commercial refrigeration equipment

Air conditioning equipment

What penalties can technicians face if they violate the Clean Air Act?

They may lose their Section 608 certification

They may face federal charges

They may be fined

Which of the following scenarios are NOT considered de minimis releases? (“De minimis” refers to small, unavoidable releases that occur during good-faith attempts to recover/recapture refrigerant, for example, when connecting or disconnecting hoses during servicing.)

Catastrophic failure after operating the equipment well beyond the recommended service/maintenance date

Releases occur during maintenance because recovery was not performed with certified recovery/recycling equipment (equipment tested and labeled according to EPA requirements)

Which of the following are excluded from Section 608 refrigerant management requirements?

Carbon dioxide

Nitrogen

Which of the following are violations of the CAA Venting Prohibition?

Release of refrigerants because appliances were not recovered

Refrigerants released when disconnecting non-low-loss hoses to service an appliance

Which of the following are considered natural refrigerants?

R-290

R-600a

R-744

Which of the following do you not need Section 608 certification to purchase?

Nitrogen

Which of the following is a CFC?

R-11

R-12

Which of the following is an HCFC?

R-22

Which of the following refrigerants does the Venting Prohibition cover?

CFCs, HCFCs, and HFCs

According to EPA requirements, recovery equipment used with R-12 must be certified to standards established by which organization?

AHRI

Who does not need to maintain proper records of refrigerants?

The EPA

Which of the following is considered a de minimis refrigerant release under EPA regulations?

A small release when connecting hoses with low-loss fittings during normal servicing

A brief puff released when disconnecting certified recovery equipment after recovery is complete

True or False: Equipment that uses nitrogen as a refrigerant is not subject to Section 608 requirements

True

How many questions are on the EPA 608 Universal exam?

100 questions:

• 25 Core

• 25 Type I

• 25 Type II

• 25 Type III

What score is required to pass an EPA 608 exam section?

72% (18 out of 25 questions)

What must a technician stay current with?

Federal, state, and local laws and regulations

True or False: EPA regulations never change

False. Regulations are updated over time.

Why are HCFCs considered less harmful than CFCs?

They still contain chlorine, so they can deplete ozone, but they release less chlorine and have lower ozone depletion potential than CFCs

Where ozone is found

Stratospheric Ozone	Ground-Level Ozone
Good	Bad
Protects life	Air pollutant
Absorbs harmful UV radiation	Damages lungs and contributes to smog

Chlorine chain of impact

CFCs/HCFCs → release chlorine → chlorine destroys ozone

One chlorine atom is roughly equal to…

100,000 ozone molecules

Why were older refrigerants such an issue?

chlorine lasts a long time

It doesn't destroy one ozone molecule and disappear

It keeps reacting again and again for years

Main source of chlorine

Natural sources exist (like volcanoes).

But the major increase in stratospheric chlorine comes from human-made CFCs and HCFCs

Effects of ozone depletion

Human

• Skin cancer

• Cataracts

Plants

• Reduced crop yields

Ecosystems

• Harm to marine life (especially organisms near the ocean surface)

Refrigerants causing Ozone damage

Refrigerant	Ozone Damage
CFC	Yes
HCFC	Yes (less than CFCs)
HFC	No
HFO	No

Why do technicians recover refrigerant instead of venting it?

Because preventing releases of ozone-depleting refrigerants protects the ozone layer