Halon Equipment

This section addresses the operating procedures, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements applicable to University staff. It is the responsibility of contractors or vendors employed through the University to follow the requirements of regulation 40 CFR 82, Subpart H, Halon Emissions Reduction.  The University must only employ the services of contractors or vendors that adhere to the regulatory requirements of this program. 

Operating Procedures (§82.270)

No person testing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing of halon-containing equipment or using such equipment for technician training may knowingly vent or otherwise release into the environment any halons used in such equipment.  De minimis releases associated with good faith attempts to recycle or recover halon are not subject to this prohibition.  Release of residual halon contained in fully discharged total flooding fire extinguishing systems would be considered a de minimis release associated with good faith attempts to recycle or recover halon.

Release of halons during testing of fire extinguishing systems is not subject to this prohibition if the following four conditions are met:

• Systems or equipment employing suitable alternative fire extinguishing agents are not available;
• System or equipment testing requiring release of extinguishing agent is essential to demonstrate system or equipment functionality;
• Failure of the system or equipment would pose great risk to human safety or the environment; and
• A simulant agent cannot be used in place of the halon during system or equipment testing for technical reasons.

This prohibition does not apply to the emergency release of halons for the legitimate purpose of fire extinguishing, explosion inertion, or other emergency applications for which the equipment or systems were designed.

Persons hiring technicians who test, maintain, service, repair or dispose of halon-containing equipment must take appropriate steps to ensure that the technicians are trained regarding halon emissions reduction within 30 days of hiring.

No person shall dispose of halon-containing equipment except by sending it for halon recovery to a manufacturer operating in accordance with NFPA 10 and NFPA 12A standards, a fire equipment dealer operating in accordance with NFPA 10 and NFPA 12A standards or a recycler operating in accordance with NFPA 10 and NFPA 12A standards. This provision does not apply to ancillary system devices such as electrical detection control components which are not necessary to the safe and secure containment of the halon within the equipment, to fully discharged total flooding systems, or to equipment containing only de minimis quantities of halons.

No person shall dispose of halon except by sending it for recycling to a recycler operating in accordance with NFPA 10 and NFPA 12A standards, or by arranging for its destruction using one of the following controlled processes:

• Liquid injection incineration;
• Reactor cracking;
• Gaseous/fume oxidation;
• Rotary kiln incineration;
• Cement kiln;
• Radiofrequency plasma destruction; or
• An EPA-approved destruction technology that achieves a destruction efficiency of 98% or greater.

No owner of halon-containing equipment shall allow halon release to occur as a result of failure to maintain such equipment.

Records of halon emissions reduction training for employee technicians must be maintained for at least three years.

There are no associated reporting or certification requirements for 40 CFR 82, Subpart H.