Chemical bad for ozone on the way to phase-out

CEBU, Philippines - The Environment Management Bureau-7 is encouraging the public to buy products that are free of hydrocholorofluorocarbons (HCFC) as the freezing of its consumption has started this year.

Rechale Ybañez, EMB-7 environmental education and information coordinator said that it is their goal to lessen the demand for products containing HCFCs.

“Because we are targeting to reduce its usage by ten percent this 2015. We encourage the public to buy HCFC-free products if possible,” Ybañez said.

Ybañez said that the Philippines, through the leadership of the DENR and the coordination of EMB’s Philippine Ozone Desk and its project management units, have phased out all controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol except for one —the HCFCs.

HCFCs are used as blowing agent for the foam industry, as coolant in commercial refrigeration, industrial and domestic air-conditioning, as flushing agent in the service sector and as a fire-extinguishing agent.

HCFC was used as a transitional substance to replace chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs.

CFCs was the traditionally and most widely-used ozone depleting substance, it was used as cooling chemicals for refrigerators and air-conditioners, as blowing agent for foam, and as propellant for spray cans, among its other uses.

The total CFC phase-out was in 2010 while total HCFC phase-out is in the year 2040, she said in a statement sent to The FREEMAN.

“We are now working on the phase-out of these chemicals through the revision of the Chemical Control Order for ODS to freeze HCFC importation to its 2009-2010 average starting this year, 2013,” she said.

She added that by 2015, the country has to reduce its HCFC imports by 10 percent of its baseline.

“Since we are limiting the supply of HCFCs, we are also beginning to work on reducing the demand for these chemicals,” Ybañez said.

Meanwhile, in line with the celebration of the ozone protection month, the DENR-7 through the EMB-7 conducted a one-day orientation seminar on ozone science, chemical control order for ODS and training on handling chemicals.

ODS are man-made compounds containing chlorine and bromine that have the potential to react with ozone molecules in the stratosphere.

Attended by more than 20 ODS dealers, resellers and retailers in Central Visayas the other day, DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Isabelo Montejo said this is in compliance to the provisions of the International Treaty on the Montreal Protocol.

EMB-7 regional director William Cuñado said that they continue to conduct various activities to support its goal which is to phase out chemicals that deplete the ozone layer while simultaneously searching for alternative chemicals that would be ozone-friendly.

DENR-7 said that 25 years later after the Montreal Protocol was set into force last January 1, 1989, it has been recognized around the world as the most effective multilateral environmental treaty ever implemented. —/BRP (FREEMAN)