JANUARY 2026 ISSUE

EPA Issues Limited, Temporary TTR Enforcement De-prioritization

The EPA issued an “Enforcement Statement” about the Technology Transitions Regulations that went into effect on January 1st, 2026. Contrary to the very irresponsible statements published by certain members of the HVACR industry, the statement makes it clear that the 1/1/26 GWP limits are still the law until the revised, final TTR is issued. While this administration is deprioritizing enforcement of the limits for equipment categories that are in the process of being changed, nothing stops future administrations from enforcing violations that occur during this period.

The RMS 2026 Training Program is Here

RMS published its live training program for calendar year 2026. These live trainings will offer the opportunity for participants to ask questions and interact with the trainer. Recordings of past trainings are, of course, always available on our Thinkific site.

NY State Reporting

New annual reporting forms for owners/operators of HVACR appliances with 1500+ lbs. of regulated refrigerant are now available for NY’s 2025 annual RMP reporting. The deadline to submit reports is March 31, 2026.  Registration for facilities with medium-sized appliances (200-1499 lbs. of regulated refrigerant) is due June 1st, 2026. The Supplier and Reclaimer Annual Reporting Forms for 2025 are also available on the site.  

Speaking of NY …

A New York state assemblymember introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 9596, which restricts the state’s ability to regulate refrigerants outside the scope of the EPA’s Technology Transitions Regulation. If you aren’t sure how this proposal would work together with the NY state law that requires the state to regulate refrigerants more strictly, you aren’t alone.

“Developing a Good Enforcement Readiness Program” Sponsored by Axiom Cloud

Thanks to sponsorship by Axiom Cloud, the RMS February 24th training called “Developing a Good Enforcement Readiness Program” is available free to all attendees. Use the promo code AXIOM when you register. You can hope that federal and state governments target someone else, or you can prepare for the worst and increase your chances of passing an inspection with flying colors. An ounce of prevention is always worth a pound (or $millions) of cure.

Washington State Annual Reports and Registration Due

Annual WA RMP reports for large HVACR appliances (1500+ lbs.) are due on March 15th, 2026. Facilities with medium-size HVACR appliances (200-1499 lbs.) must also register by that date. The WA Department of Ecology will send invoices for annual program fees in March, and payment is due within 30 days. RMS has a one-page fact sheet on WA refrigerant regulations.

Reclaim for R-448/R-449

I’ve been harping for a while on the “impending doom” awaiting us all in 2029 when we are forced to service our 448/449 refrigeration racks with reclaimed refrigerant: “Where is this reclaimed 448/449 going to come from” (usually combined with lots of arm waving and painful facial expressions). Good news: National announced that they now have licenses from Honeywell and Chemours to legally reclaim 448/449. While it’s only January, this may be the best news this year.

Giant Fridge Is a Gold Mine

Why would you possibly need a refrigerator that holds the same volume as five Olympic-size swimming pools? To contain over 15,000 tons of liquid argon that must be kept at minus 303 degrees Fahrenheit, of course. A former gold mine in South Dakota will house the huge refrigerator for a Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). “DUNE is the most sensitive experiment ever conceived for learning about the origins of the universe … the first particles emitted by the Big Bang.” Who knew that the answer to the creation of the universe lies in South Dakota?

Need Some Help?

If you need help with these or any other topics related to refrigerant management, feel free to reach out to me (Keilly Witman). We’re a friendly bunch and happy to help!