The time is ticking for companies who have not surrendered their old and unapproved refrigerants, because the EPA will be strictly implementing all the provisions by the Montreal Protocol by the year 2020. While this may still seem like a faraway deadline, the reality couldn’t be any further from the truth. If you think that scheduling the exchange of old R-22 is as easy as ordering a pizza over the phone, then you might be disappointed.
You will need to undergo a site inspection before any retrieval or exchange of refrigerants can take place in your work area. Aside from this, you will need to review and fill up the proper paperwork and documentation needed to prove that your company is operating in compliance with the provisions of the EPA. Lastly, you will need to coordinate a convenient schedule between your workers and the refrigerant services company you will be hiring so that the pick-up and exchange can take place with no hiccups.
Keep in mind that you are not the only company with old refrigerants to surrender and exchange. If you fail to schedule early, be prepared to fall in line with other clients.
You will need a lot of time to complete the entire refrigerant exchange process. If you keep prolonging this very important task, you might wake up one day and see that it’s already 2020, and you have to answer to strict EPA agents knocking on your door.
Failure to exchange old, unused, and unapproved refrigerants will result in the following problems:
1) Exposing your workers (and yourself) to potential health hazards.
The World Health Organization has published reports on the harmful effects R-22 and other toxic refrigerants have on the human body. These are among the deadly conditions you or your workers could suffer from if you accidentally come into contact with old and harmful refrigerants:
- skin cancer
- eye inflammation, which can lead to blindness
- cataracts
- erythema
- other debilitating skin diseases
2) Getting sued for exposing your workers to harmful chemicals.
On the tragic event that one of your workers does get exposed to R-22 and develops a debilitating disease, or worse, dies from the exposure, be ready to get sued. Multiple lawsuits can be filed against your company because there are stringent laws and regulations advocating for the exchange of harmful refrigerants. Your failure to comply is reason enough to charge you guilty. Unless you are ready to settle for all the damages, it is recommended that you schedule an exchange of old refrigerants as soon as possible.
3) Inviting the EPA to breathe down your neck.
If you wish to continue operating in peace, you should consider complying with the EPA. Otherwise, you can say goodbye to the peace and quiet you enjoy at work because the sight of EPA agents swooping in for inspections, interviews, and other time-consuming endeavors will become commonplace.
4) Worse, you could lose your license to operate.
Once the EPA agents assigned to your company have gathered enough data, they can submit a petition to suspend or confiscate your business permit and license. Yes, they have the power to shut you down if you continue to be reckless with their environmental policies. You may choose to fight them in court, but prepare to lose not just money but also your company’s credibility.
5) Endanger the environment and damage the flora and fauna.
The EPA wouldn’t be this exacting if the consequences weren’t truly grave. Continuous consumption of harmful refrigerants contributes to the destruction of diverse ecosystems all around the world. The earth’s temperature will continue to rise, oceans and rivers will dry up, and that will jeopardize the future of millions of species, including our own.
6) Get sued by environmental groups left and right.
If it becomes public knowledge that your company still stocks harmful refrigerants, you could face a storm of unwanted media attention and perhaps more courtroom action. Don’t risk your company’s reputation for measly initial savings on retrieval cost. Companies like Refrigerant Services will even buy the harmful refrigerants from you.
7) Lose a lot of money
All of the scenarios presented above will lead you to lose a lot, if not all, of your money. No matter how you look at it, you stand to gain more when you comply, and you lose absolutely everything when you don’t.
Get in touch with Refrigerant Services LLC today and enjoy the benefits of getting a fully trained team do the work from you. From pick-up to paperwork, we have you covered. Call us at 844-PURECFC (787-3232) today! If you are ready you can also schedule a pick up right from our website!
