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EPA/AR

RIN: 2060-AN30

Publication ID: Spring 2009

Title: Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Revision to Listing of Carbon Dioxide Total Flooding Fire Extinguishing Systems Restricting Use to Only Unoccupied Areas
Abstract: Section 612 of the Clean Air Act requires EPA to identify alternatives to Class I and II ozone-depleting substances and to publish lists of acceptable and unacceptable substitutes. Producers of substitutes must notify EPA at least 90 days before alternatives are introduced into interstate commerce. Substitutes which are deemed by EPA to be unacceptable or acceptable subject to use restrictions must go through notice and comment rulemaking. Substitute lists are updated intermittently depending on the volume of notifications. Independent of any petitions or notifications received, EPA may also initiate updates to the substitute lists based on new data on either additional substitutes or on characteristics of substitutes previously reviewed. Based on new information on the continued and growing use of carbon dioxide total flooding fire extinguishing systems, EPA is proposing to revise its listing of carbon dioxide as an acceptable total flooding substitute for ozone-depleting halons to acceptable subject to narrowed use limits. Use would be limited to unoccupied areas where personnel could not be exposed to lethal concentration of the agent. Recent changes to national fire protection industry standards reflect need to improve personnel safety requirements for carbon dioxide systems by limiting its applications. Carbon dioxide total flooding fire extinguishing systems are used in some industrial applications such as automobile paint rooms and in marine applications such as machinery spaces. Restricted use limits on carbon dioxide total flooding systems supports the use of substitutes that are not potentially lethal to personnel that could be exposed.
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)	Priority: Other Significant
RIN Status: Previously published in the Unified Agenda	Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Long-Term Actions
Major: No	Unfunded Mandates: No
CFR Citation: 40 CFR 82
Legal Authority: 42 USC 7414 42 USC 7601 42 USC 7671 to 7671q

Legal Deadline: None

Timetable:

Action	Date	FR Cite
NPRM	To Be Determined

Additional Information: SAN No. 4991
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No	Government Levels Affected: None
Small Entities Affected: No	Federalism: No
Included in the Regulatory Plan: No
International Impacts: This regulatory action will be likely to have international trade and investment effects, or otherwise be of international interest.
RIN Information URL: http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap
RIN Data Printed in the FR: No
Agency Contact: Bella Maranion Environmental Protection Agency Air and Radiation 6205J, Washington, DC 20460 Phone:202 343-9749 Fax:202 343-2363 Email: Maranion.Bella@epa.gov Jeff Cohen Environmental Protection Agency Air and Radiation 6205J, Washington, DC 20460 Phone:202 343-9005 Fax:202 343-2363 Email: cohen.jeff@epa.gov