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EPA Regulations & Training Guidance

On March 5, 1998, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule covering the sale of halon blends and the handling and disposal of halon and halon-containing equipment (63 FR 11084). The major elements of the rule are summarized below:

  • A ban on the manufacture of any halon blend. An exemption is provided for halon blends manufactured solely for the purpose of aviation fire protection.

  • A prohibition on the intentional release or venting of halons during testing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing of halon-containing equipment or during the use of such equipment for technician training.

  • A prohibition on halon releases that occur as a result of owner failure to maintain halon-containing equipment to relevant industry standards.

  • A requirement that technician training relevant to halon emissions be provided. Technicians should be trained using standard industry service practice guidelines, including NFPA, ISO and ASTM publications.

  • A requirement that halon and halon-containing equipment must be properly disposed of at the end of its useful life. Proper disposal is defined as sending such equipment for halon recovery or recycling by a facility operating in accordance with NFPA 10 and NFPA 12A standards or destruction using one of several processes identified in the rule.

In February 2001 EPA published a guidance document on the technician training and proper disposal requirements of the March 1998 rule.

Click here to download the March 1998 EPA final rule on halon recycling.

Click here to download the February 2001 EPA guidance document.

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