Halocarbons

Regulation Highlights

• Objectives
• Target clientele
• Main regulatory provisions

Objectives

The Regulation respecting halocarbons was updated on July 6, 2023. The amendments provide clarification and allow harmonization between the Regulation and the Federal Halocarbon Regulations, 2022.

The main objective of the Regulation is to reduce the emission of halocarbons into the atmosphere.

The reinforced regulation fosters the use of new technologies that are more environmentally friendly and significantly help reach Québec’s greenhouse gas reduction goals by limiting and/or banning the use of selected hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

Target clientele

The Regulation addresses several categories of actors in this field, including:

• Businesses and independent workers in the refrigeration and air conditioning sectors
• Owners of refrigeration equipment
• Manufacturers of plastic foam
• Businesses in the fire protection sector

Main regulatory provisions

Limit emissions

The Regulation prohibits the release of halocarbons into the atmosphere in order to cap emissions. Sections 8 and 10 also provide for the mandatory recovery of halocarbons by fully functional equipment and in containers designed for this purpose. Leaks from halocarbon-containing equipment are restricted under section 27 (emission standards). A leak test is mandatory both prior to filling devices and annually for certain types of equipment.

Additionally, only individuals holding environmental halocarbon qualification are permitted to install, maintain, repair, modify, dismantle or refurbish refrigeration and/or air conditioning equipment designed for use with halocarbons.

Foster the use of new technologies that are more environmentally friendly

The Regulation prohibits :

• the manufacture, sale, distribution or installation of refrigeration and/or air conditioning equipment designed to work with chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
• filling refrigeration and/or air conditioning equipment with CFCs
• operating refrigeration and/or air conditioning equipment with CFCs
• the manufacture, sale, distribution and installation of halon-based fire extinguishers
• the installation of HFC-23 and perfluorcarbon-based fire extinguishers

The Regulation also sets global warming potential (GWP) limits for a number of applications. The following table lists these applications and the dates when their regulatory limits come into effect.

1 These GWP limits do not apply to manufactured and/or imported products for which an essential product exception permit was issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

2 These GWP limits to not apply to equipment designed to maintain internal temperature that is equal to or less than -50 °C.

3 The GWP limits do not apply to foams or foam-containing products used for military, space and/or aeronautical purposes.

Halocarbon Management

In order to ensure best practices in the management of halocarbons within Québec, individuals that recover used halocarbons are required to process, dispose, have processed or disposed of by a third party or return them to their suppliers or any other wholesalers.

Halocarbon suppliers and wholesalers are required to produce annual halocarbon purchase and sales reports. Importers of halocarbons for their own use are also required to produce annual purchase reports. Anyone receiving or recovering used halocarbons for processing and disposal by it or by another person outside Québec is required to produce annual return reports. This does not apply to businesses that recover used halocarbons and place them back in the equipment where they were recovered or any other of its owned devices.

Workers who perform tasks that require halocarbon use, recovery and/or recycling; dismantle equipment or perform a leak test on refrigeration, air conditioning and/or fire extinguishing equipment are required to keep a repair, maintenance and/or dismantling log.

All sample reports and logs required under the Regulation are available on this page.