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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published a November 28th Federal Register Notice that revises the regulatory definition of volatile organic compounds (“VOCs”) under the Clean Air Act. See 83 Fed. Reg. 61227.
The final rule exempts cis-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobut-2-ene.
HFO-1336mzz-Z is added to the list of compounds excluded from the regulatory definition of VOC. The rationale for this action is EPA’s contention that the compound makes a negligible contribution to tropospheric ozone formation.
EPA states that DuPont Chemicals & Fluoroproducts had submitted a petition to the agency on February 14, 2014, asking that cis-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobut-2-ene be exempted from the regulatory definition of VOC. The company argued that HFO-1336mzz-Z possesses low reactivity relative to ethane. The petitioner is also stated to have noted that:
. . . HFO-1336mzz-Z may be used in a variety of applications as a replacement for foam expansion or blowing agents with higher global warming potential (GWP) (≤700 GWP) for use in polyurethane rigid insulating foams, among others. It is also a new developmental refrigerant as a potential working fluid for Organic Rankine Cycles (ORC).
The preamble to the final rule addresses:
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EPA’s VOC Exemption Policy
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The Petition
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EPA’s Assessment of the Petition
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Contribution to Tropospheric Ozone Formation
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Potential Impacts on Other Environmental Endpoints
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Contribution to Tropospheric Ozone Depletion
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The Significant New Alternatives Policy Program Acceptability Findings
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Toxicity
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Contribution to Climate Change
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Response to Comments and Conclusion
A copy of the Federal Register Notice can be found here.