United States Environmental Protection Agency

Air and Radiation
Stratospheric Protection Division
(6205J)

May, 1995

SUMMARY OF SUPPLEMENTAL FINAL RULE ON THE SERVICING OF MOTOR
VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONERS (STANDARD FOR RECOVER-ONLY EQUIPMENT)

     The supplemental final rule establishing a standard for recover-only MVAC service
equipment under Section 609 of the Clean Air Act was signed by the Administrator on April
24, 1995 and published in the Federal Register on May 2, 1995 at 60 FR 21682.  Copies of the
rule will be available by calling the Ozone Hotline at (800) 296-1996 between 10 a.m. and
4 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.  Unless stated otherwise, all provisions of the rule go
into effect on June 1, 1995.

     The rule provides for the following:

-It requires that refrigerant transported off-site for reclamation must, as of July 1,  1995, meet
ARI 700-93 purity standards rather than ARI 700-88 standards.

-It requires that recover-only equipment must meet the standards set forth in Appendix          
B to the Section 609 regulations.  Appendix B is based on SAE J1989 and SAE J2209.

-Equipment purchased by the end user prior to April 22, 1992, even if it has not been certified
by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or ETL Testing Laboratories (ETL) to meet the standards
set forth in Appendix B, will be considered approved by EPA if the Agency considers
it substantially identical to recover-only equipment that meets the Appendix B standards. 
A manufacturer or owner may request that EPA determine whether a certain model
is substantially identical.

-UL and ETL are certified to test recover-only equipment in order to ensure that it meets the
Appendix B standards.

-Technicians trained and certified prior to June 1, 1995 by the 23 organizations already approved
by EPA under the Section 609 program are considered trained and certified in the use
of recover-only equipment.

-Organizations that conduct training and certification of technicians after June 1, 1995 will
be approved to train and certify them in the use of recover-only equipment on the condition
that each organization certify to the Agency that its training materials discuss the standard
set forth in Appendix B, and that its testing materials include questions concerning that standard. 
Organizations that do not submit such a certification will not be approved to train and certify
future technicians for the use of recover-only equipment.