DENR warns car owners who use freon

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Friday warned owners of vehicles of 1999 models up to the present that they would not be allowed to register or renew their registration with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) if they continue to use the chlorofluocarbons (CFC) 12 also known as freon in their air conditioning units. DENR officer-in-charge Armando de Castro issued the warning to encourage vehicle owners to use more ozone-friendly cooling agents for their vehicles such as hydrofluocarbons (HFC-134A) and other blends. The warning, De Castro said, would also discourage back-conversion, charging of a non-CFC aircon system (charged with R134A) with CFC R12, which is commonly practicesd by vehicle owners to save on the cost of their refrigerant. De Castro said that the move is in connection with the country’s implementation of its National CFC Phase-out Plan (NCPP) that aims to reduce and eventually phase-out ozone depleting substances such as CFCs. To set as example, the DENR started its inspection of its own vehicles to determine how many are still using CFCs. The inspections are part of the mandatory tests that will be conducted on all air-con units before they are registered which will start this year. The DENR Mobile Air-Conditioning Team chaired by assistance secretary Michelle Angelica Go had tested at least 92 service vehicles of the DENR. Among the vehicles tested was the service vehicle of DENR Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio, a Toyota Revo 2001 model which failed the testing. The label on the air conditioning system of Ignacio’s vehicle stated that it is already using R134A but when it was tested, it is still using CFC 12 or freon. “Contrary what is indicated in the hood of USEC Ignacio’s vehicle, the refrigerant being used is still the freon which registered at 96.8 %. In this case, the vehicle should return to the service center where the air conditioning unit was installed," Go said. With the discovery of such irregularity, Go cautioned the vehicle owners to double check the refrigerant being put in their air conditioning system. Go also warned that registration of the unscrupulous service centers with the Department of Trade and Industry would be suspended once they were caught in such irregularities. Meanwhile, registration of older car models (1998 and below) that use CFC in its air conditioning system will still be allowed until 2012. The DERN would also be conducting random roadside inspection, similar to the roadside emission-testing of vehicles, by the middle of this year. The Philippines is one of the 189 signatories to the Montreal Protocol, a global agreement to wipe out ozone-depleting substances such as CFCs. Based on the NCPP, about 85% of the Philippines CFC-consumption will further be reduced by 2007 and by 2010, CFCs will no longer be allowed to enter the country. CFCs are commonly used as cooling agents for refrigerators and air-conditioners, as a propellant for aerosol and metered-dose inhalers, and as cleaning agent for computer circuit boards. -GMANEWS.TV