DENR, DOTC join forces to rid air of ozone-depleting substances

The Department of Transportation and Communications’ Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are jointly implementing a new rule requiring all vehicles to use non-ozone depleting substances in their car airconditioning systems.

Administrative Order 3 provides that all vehicles of model 1999 up to present are required to have HFC-134a (R-134a or non-CFC) in their air conditioning system. Vehicles from among the said models found to have been converted back to chloroflourocarbon-12, also known as R-12 or freon, system will not be allowed to renew their registration with LTO unless the air conditioning system is changed back to non-CFC system.

CFC-12 or freon is an ozone depleting substance that is widely used as cooling agent in car air conditioning. It is set for total phase-out (zero importation) by year 2010 in the Philippines, being one of the 189 country signatories to the Montreal Protocol on the Protection of the Ozone Layer.

Vehicles with HFC-134a aircon system are not allowed to convert back to freon. This restriction aims to discourage the practice of back-conversion or the charging of a non-CFC aircon system (R134a) with freon, which is commonly practiced by vehicle owners to save on the cost of refrigerant. It is also a way to encourage vehicle owners to use environment-friendly refrigerant such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFC-134A or R134A) and other blends.

Older models (1998 or earlier) with CFC-12 or freon-using air conditioning system will still be allowed to register until the phase-out year 2012. After that, these vehicles will be registered only if the owners retrofit their air conditioning systems with alternative refrigerants, such HFC-134a, which is more ozone-friendly.

The phase-out of CFCs is also covered by DENR Administrative Order 2004-8 (Chemical Control Order [CCO] for Ozone-depleting Substances). The Order is consistent with Republic Act 6969 (Toxic Substances, Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act). The CCO includes provisions against back conversion and venting, which is the intentional release of CFC when servicing air conditioning systems.

For more information, contact the DOTC-LTO at tel. no. 921-9072 or contact DENR-EMB Philippine Ozone Desk at telephone numbers 928-4578 and telefax 426-4338. — Benny Enriquez