Further to an article that appeared in the April HRAI Link, representatives of the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) met with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) orecently to clarify the regulatory situation concerning use of CFC-based chillers in Ontario. MOE confirmed that it is illegal to operate a CFC-based chiller after January 1, 2012 and there are no exemptions to this under the regulations. They also confirmed that contractors who startup or maintain a CFC-based chiller could be fined under the terms of the regulation and the Ontario Environmental Protection Act.
A letter (see documents) from the Ministry of the Environment clearly states the interpretation of the regulation, the fact that contractors could be fined if they are involved in starting up or maintaining a CFC-based chiller, the person(s) in the Ministry to contact if you know of such a chiller that is operating illegally and the fines that could be levied by the Ministry against persons contravening this regulation. If your company services chillers in the Province of Ontario, HRAI strongly recommends the following action steps:
1. Forward a copy of this bulletin and Ministry letters to all members of your staff; particularly your service mechanics. Reinforce the provisions of the communication by discussing it with your mechanics.
2. Post the bulletin and letter on your staff bulletin board.
3. Forward a copy of the Ministry letter to any customers who still have chillers that operate on CFC refrigerants.
4. Report the operation of any CFC-based chillers to Ministry representatives (see documents).
Manufacturers, wholesalers and associate members can assist in this communication process by being aware of this regulatory concern and possibly forwarding it or posting it for their contractor customers who are in the chiller service business. From HRAI
