Wednesday, March 21, 2007 Talk back: Earth stewards By Allan C. Arranguez OIC Regional Director, EMB 7
THIS is to clarify a news item that saw print in Sun.Star last March 15, 2007 entitled “By 2010, freon in aircons no longer allowed.”
The report said that, “Environmental Management Board (EMB) 7 Director Alan Arranguez said R-134A has a smaller concentration of chlorofluorocarbon and is efficient as R-12 producing cold temperature.”
That line was a result of the writer’s failure to get my point during the phone interview.
The national choloroflourocarbon (CFC) phase-out plan was meant to enable the government to phase out its CFC consumption in accordance with the Montreal protocol phase-out schedule.
The Philippines is required to comply with the country obligations under Article 5 (Montreal Protocol): 50 per cent consumption reduction by Jan. 1,2005, 85 percent consumption reduction by Jan. 1,2007, and complete phase out by Jan. 1,2010.
The importation only of CFC must be phased out by the year 2010.
The government, through the National CFC Phase-out Plan – Project Management Unit (NCPP-PMU), DENR-EMB, Philippine Ozone desk is already banning the installation of the CFC 12 of R12 in Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC) system designed for non-CFC refrigerants.
Mobile air conditioners account for 46 percent of CFC usage while refrigeration and air conditioners account for 29 percent. CFC 12 or R12 will be replaced by R134A, a hydroflourocarbon (HFC).
The concentration of CFC in R134A or HFC is not smaller, as stated by your reporter.
Rather, R134A has no potential ozone-depleting substances.
EMB-DENR, in coordination with the Land Transportation Office, is in the process of imposing annual mandatory inspection to cover both commercial and private cars.
The legal basis of the MAC inspections is the provisions of Republic Act No. 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990) and Republic Act 8749 (Clean Air Act).
By 2012 onwards, no vehicle will be allowed to renew their registration if their MACs contain CFC refrigerants (DENR DAO 2004-08).
As part of the national CFC phase out plan, government will give P100,000 to the eligible RAC (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning) and MAC service shops as a financial mechanism to purchase tools and equipment.
Protecting our ozone layer is a responsibility of all of us as stewards of Mother Earth.
