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• How do refrigeration requirements in O. Reg. 463/10 affect wholesalers?
• Are refrigeration technicians required to undergo re-examination to renew their Ozone Depletion Prevention (ODP) Certificate?
• Can surplus refrigerant containing CFCs be returned to wholesalers?
• Are refrigeration technicians required to include their employer’s name on records and notices?
• Can large industrial, commercial and institutional equipment be refilled with CFC refrigerant?
• Can chillers be refilled with CFC refrigerant?
• What are the requirements for purges on low pressure chillers?
• Are top-ups still allowed on large industrial, commercial and institutional refrigeration equipment and chillers?
• Where are written notices regarding chiller refills to be sent?
• What kind of information is required under the "records of use" requirement in Part V: Refrigerants of Ontario’s ODS and Other Halocarbons Regulation? 

How do refrigeration requirements in O. Reg. 463/10 affect wholesalers?  

Wholesalers are required to accept refrigerant containing CFCs returned to them at no charge after January 1, 2009.

Are refrigeration technicians required to undergo re-examination to renew their Ozone Depletion Prevention (ODP) Certificate? 

No. Technicians are no longer required to undergo re-examination to renew their Ozone Depletion Certificate . However, technicians are required to maintain the currency of their certificate through a renewal process (similar to a driver’s license). Please see the section on Ozone Depletion Certificates below to obtain instructions for renewing your valid certificates. Persons certifying for the first time or persons who have let their certificates expire are required to take the full day course and exam to obtain a valid ODP certificate.

Can surplus refrigerant containing CFCs be returned to wholesalers?  

If technicians return surplus refrigerant containing CFCs to wholesalers it should be done at the wholesaler’s normal place of business during normal business hours and in containers labeled according to section 35 (4) of the regulation. Surplus CFC refrigerant can be returned at no-cost to any wholesaler.

Refrigerant technicians must return surplus CFC refrigerant to wholesalers within six months after the refrigerant was collected. Existing stocks of surplus CFC refrigerant being stored must be returned to wholesalers by July 1, 2012. Extensions can be applied for from the Director for extenuating circumstances.

Surplus refrigerant containing CFCs will be designated as hazardous waste on and after July 1, 2012.

Are refrigeration technicians required to include their employer’s name on records and notices?  

Yes. Technicians are required to include their employer’s name on service and testing records, leak test notices and empty notices for refrigeration equipment. All records are to be kept for a period of two years.

Can large industrial, commercial and institutional equipment be refilled with CFC refrigerant?  

As of January 1, 2009, large refrigeration equipment (compressors with a total capacity greater than 22kW) can no longer be refilled with CFC refrigerant and must discontinue using CFC refrigerant by December 31, 2011. This equipment must be converted to an alternate refrigerant or replaced with equipment that uses an alternate refrigerant.

Can chillers be refilled with CFC refrigerant?  

As of January 1, 2009, chillers that use CFC refrigerant cannot be refilled with CFC refrigerant if the chiller is undergoing a major overhaul. If a refill is required, the chiller will need to be converted to use a non-CFC refrigerant or replaced with a chiller that uses a non-CFC refrigerant. Beginning January 1, 2012, chillers will no longer be able to use CFC refrigerant and must be discontinued.

Exemptions:

Chillers that have undergone a major overhaul may be refilled with a CFC refrigerant if prior to January 1, 2009, the owner submitted a written notice to the Director stating that by December 31, 2011 the equipment will be converted to or replaced by a system that uses a non-CFC refrigerant.

Refills will also be allowed for chillers that have undergone a major overhaul if there is an immediate threat to human health, crops, plant life or animal life foodstuffs on a farm or at a food packing, processing or storage facility. The chiller must be converted or replaced within one year of the date of refill and a notice of the date of refill must be submitted within seven days of the refill to the Director.

What are the requirements for purges on low pressure chillers?  

Purges on low pressure chillers as per section 20 of the regulation must be conducted according to the Environmental Code of Practice for the Elimination of Fluorocarbon Emissions from Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems (PDF).

Are top-ups still allowed on large industrial, commercial and institutional refrigeration equipment and chillers?  

Top-ups are allowed on this equipment provided the equipment is not leaking and provided that the equipment has not undergone a major overhaul as defined in the regulation:
“major overhaul” means a procedure carried out on or a repair made to a chiller on or after January 1, 2009 that includes,

(a) the replacement or modification of any internal sealing devices in the chiller,

(b) the replacement or modification of an internal mechanical moving part, other than an oil heater, an oil pump or a float assembly and other than a vane assembly, in the case of a chiller with a single-stage compressor, other than a vane assembly, or

(c) a repair required as a result of the failure of an evaporator or condenser heat exchanger tube, or

(d) any combination of the procedures or repairs in clauses (a) to (c).

However, after December 31, 2011, this equipment is no longer permitted to use CFC refrigerant.

Where are written notices regarding chiller refills to be sent?  

Written notices can be submitted to:

Assistant Director, West Central Region 
Ministry of the Environment
Ellen Fairclough Building
119 King Street West, 12th Floor
Hamilton ON L8P 4Y7

What kind of information is required under the "records of use" requirement in Part V: Refrigerants of Ontario’s ODS and Other Halocarbons Regulation? 

All technicians who hold ODP certificates are required to keep records of use. These records must contain:

• All amounts and types of refrigerant purchased or obtained (if you do not buy it yourself) for the purpose of servicing or testing equipment, if any, as well as the name of the seller or supplier of the refrigerant.
• The amount of any discharge of a refrigerant and the explanation for the discharge, whether or not it occurs in the course of servicing or testing equipment.
• The date of the servicing or testing, the name of the person doing the servicing or testing and, if done as part of the person’s employment, the employer of the person doing the servicing or testing.
• A description of the servicing or testing, the amount and type or types of refrigerant used in the servicing or testing, of any, the type or types of refrigerant recaptured in the course of the servicing or testing, if any, and an estimate of the amount of refrigerant recaptured in the course of the servicing or testing, if any.
• These records must be kept by each technician for a minimum of 2 years and must be made available to ministry staff upon request.