EPA’s SNAP Rule 26 Recognizes HFOs as Safer, Sustainable Refrigerant Alternatives
On May 22, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule under the Significant New Alternatives Policy Program (SNAP), known as Final SNAP Rule 26, that lists 10 alternative refrigerants as acceptable with use conditions for the refrigeration and air conditioning sector. Critically, this final action approves the use of hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) in new industrial process refrigeration, cold storage warehouses, retail food refrigeration, commercial ice machines, and ice skating rinks.
The SNAP program, established under the Clean Air Act, identifies and evaluates substitutes in end-uses that have historically used ozone-depleting substances. Over the past thirty years, the EPA has been dedicated to identifying substitutes and finding ways to incorporate their use in order to reduce the risk to human health and the environment through SNAP. The program has approved well-studied HFOs for various commercial uses for over a decade.
“The recent publication of SNAP Rule 26 exemplifies the EPA's dedication to rigorous and continual evaluation processes,” said Kevin Fay, Sustainable PFAS Action Network Executive Director. “The rule underscores EPA’s recognition of HFOs as safer and more sustainable alternatives, showcasing their environmental and performance benefits.”
Through listing HFOs as acceptable alternatives, the EPA highlights their distinctive sustainability and safety profile - setting them apart from substances of concern, and underscoring their role in promoting public health and environmental well-being. EPA's Final SNAP Rule 26 validates the significant performance advantages offered by HFOs compared to other alternatives, ensuring that end users can confidently rely on HFOs for optimal efficiency and reliability across various applications.
Acceptable Use Alternatives, with Use Conditions under SNAP Rule 26
HFOs have tremendous environmental benefits, as they play a vital role in helping to reduce carbon emissions in the economy, combat ground-level smog formation, improve energy efficiency, address climate change, and reduce the use of potent greenhouse gases. Particularly crucial for the refrigeration and air conditioning industries, HFOs aid in preserving agricultural products, protecting the pharmaceutical cold chain, and reducing carbon emissions from large-scale heating and cooling solutions. Notably, HFOs are not categorized as PFAS by the EPA’s reporting rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
In addition, Final SNAP Rule 26 confirms that trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a degradation product of HFOs, poses no significant risk to humans or the environment, now or in the future. The EPA has previously stated that TFA is a "well-studied non-PFAS" and does not consider the risk of its presence in the environment as a byproduct of HFOs “to be significantly greater than other potentially available substitutes for the same uses.”
Learn more about the EPA’s SNAP program at epa.gov/snap.