Popular refrigerants for refrigeration equipment are now prohibited
Last November, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) finalized regulations to phase out the use of HFCs and reduce methane emissions to help meet the state’s aggressive climate and environmental goals for reducing greenhouse gases. Those regulations became effective this month, meaning that refrigerants including R-404A and R-507A are now prohibited for use in many types of commercial refrigeration equipment.
The regulations target HFCs in refrigeration, commercial air conditioning, foam products, and aerosol propellants, and MDE has also finalized regulations to reduce methane emissions from energy infrastructure and operations. These dual actions are designed to help Maryland meet its requirements under the state’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act, which was signed into law by Governor Hogan.