US Legislation
Introduction
Title VI of the U.S. Clean Air Act (CAA) mandates the development and implementation of regulations to protect the stratospheric ozone layer and ensure U.S. compliance with the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. These regulations, which are implemented by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), are found in Title 40, Part 82 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Protection of the Stratospheric Ozone commonly referred to as Title 40 Part 82. The latest version of the regulation is available online at the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.
Under the US EPA regulations, controlled ozone-depleting substances (ODS) are categorized as either Class I or Class II substances, according to their potential to deplete the ozone layer.
- Class I ODS include CFCs, halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, methyl bromide, HBFCs, and chlorobromomethane;
- Class II ODS include HCFCs.
All Class I ODS and Class II ODS are controlled substances, and as such, US EPA requires that companies report the transactions (i.e., quantities produced, imported, exported, transformed, and destroyed) of all these substances, in order for EPA to fulfill its reporting obligations under the Protocol.
