Latest Notice on ODS Construction Project Management

The Chinese Ministry of Environ-mental Protection recently issued a notice on the work related to the management of the production and use of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) projects.
 
In order to strengthen ODS supervision and management and effectively fulfill the relevant requirements of the Montreal Proto-col on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and its amendments, the production and use of ODS are regulated by the ODS management regulations.
 
According to the regulations, the notice forbids to newly construct, retrofit, and expand the production of
 
ODS under control such as refrigerants, foaming agents, fire extinguishing agents, solvents, cleaning agents, processing aids, aerosols, and soil fumigants.
 
The production of ODS is only allowed when a company uses ODS as its own raw materials for chemical products. However, it is prohibited for controlled uses such as refrigerants, foaming agents, and solvents and cannot be sold externally and cannot be discharged arbitrarily.
For hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerant R22, a construction project must be established and put into operation with a harmless disposal facility for the operation of its by- product hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant R23 that is prohibited for disposal and direct emissions to the atmosphere. Also, for newly built, rebuilt, and expanded production projects involving by-products of carbon tetrachloride, it is necessary to build supporting facilities to dispose of such by-products harmlessly.
 
The relevant companies must strictly comply with the requirements of the notice. After the completion of the project, each company shall report production and use data concerning ODS in accordance with the relevant provisions of the notice on strengthening the management of production, sales, and use of HCFCs.