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From the Editor's Desk
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Welcome to the May issue of The Halon Herald!
You know that summer is arriving by how hot it has been getting these past few weeks. Speaking of hot, the NAFED 2011 Conferences had some hot topics this year. Be sure to check out the photos and itinerary to see what went on.
We also have the latest news on phasing down HFCs, the NFPA 2001 and a whole lot more!
As always, please feel free to direct to me any questions, comments or suggestions as they are always welcome!
- Kari
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US, Canada and Mexico Submit Proposal to Phase Down HFCs |
SustainableBusiness.com News
5/03/2010
Two proposed amendments have been submitted for 2011 that would add HFCs to the Montreal Protocol and slowly phase down their production. They were proposed by the same countries as last year - Federated States of Micronesia, and the United States, Canada and Mexico - and are similar to the previous proposals. They will be discussed at the Open-ended Working Group meeting in August and considered for approval at the Meeting of Parties in November.
The following are key elements of the proposals:
- List 20 specified HFCs as a new Annex F to the Protocol (including two substances sometimes referred to as HFOs).
- Make available funding under the Multilateral Fund for the phase down of HFC production and consumption.
- Include provisions to strictly limit HFC-23 byproduct emissions resulting from the production of HCFCs (e.g. HCFC 22).
- Require licensing of HFC imports and exports, and ban imports and exports to non-Parties.
Micronesia:
- 15% reduction in 2014 - 70% in 2026
- 30% in 2017 - 85% in 2029
- 45% in 2020 - 90% in 2031
- 55% in 2023
Developed country baseline would be based on 2004-2006 annual production and consumption of HFCs and HCFCs.
Developing country baseline would be based on 2007-2009 annual production and consumption of HCFCs only.
Developing countries would be subject to the same reduction schedule but with a six-year grace period (phase down would start in 2020 and reach 90% in 2037).
United States, Canada and Mexico:
- 10% reduction in 2015 - 70% in 2029
- 20% in 2017 - 85% in 2033
- 30% in 2020
- 50% in 2025
Developed country baseline would be based on 2005-2008 annual production and consumption of HFCs and 85% of 2005-2008 annual production and consumption of HCFCs.
Developing country baseline would be based on 2005-2008 annual production and consumption of HCFCs only.
Developing country phase down would begin 2 years later in 2017 with a production freeze and reach the 85% reduction level 10 years later in 2043.
For more information click here.
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NAFED 2011 Conferences A Success - John Lewandowski presented with Founders Award |
It was another fantastic round of conferences for NAFED this year. A three-city tour took the association through Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Indianapolis (during the height of the Indy 500 centennial madness, no less). With crowd-pleasing seminars and an overflowing expo, everyone went home happy. Attendees gave the event high marks, saying: "Can't wait to see what is next!" and "You guys do a fabulous job!" At the Indianapolis conference, NAFED presented its Founders Award to John Lewandowski. In 2009, NAFED gave out its first Founders Award to recognize individuals making outstanding contributions to the association. John is a longtime member of the association who has worked in fire protection since 1975. He has stood in the roles of extinguisher technician, system technician, sales, manager, and now is owner and president of Approved Fire Protection in Kalamazoo, Michigan. John has been very involved in the state of Michigan and a contributor to the fire protection industry on a national scale. He served two terms on NAFED's board as region three director and director-at-large. Didn't make it to any of the conferences? Click here to see what you missed!
You can also check out pictures from the conferences here!
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Christi Pulls Jersey out of Global Warming Pack
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By ANGELA DELLI SANTI and BETH DeFALCO
The Associated Press May 26, 2011
New Jersey will withdraw from a 10-state regional greenhouse gas reduction program by the end of the year, Gov. Chris Christie announced Thursday, saying it hasn't worked to combat global warming. The decision marks a turnaround for a highly industrialized state that was an early backer of reducing greenhouse gas pollution -- credentials that helped promote the leader of its environmental efforts to head the federal Environmental Protection Agency. "This program is not effective in reducing greenhouse gases and is unlikely to be in the future," said Christie, a Republican. "The whole system is not working as it was intended to work. It is a failure."
Click here to read the full article.
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FM200 Discharges Down 27% in 2009 - HARC Data Shows |
A final report of the HFC Emissions Estimating Program (HEEP) data collection for the years 2002-2009 has been released. HEEP is an important program for the fire protection industry and was highlighted by the US Environmental Protection Agency in its ozone protection progress report. With the recent focus on climate change, it becomes even more important to have accurate emissions data and to show leadership on the issue by the fire protection industry. The report shows a 27% decrease in emissions in 2009 and a 32% decrease in emissions since 2007, as measured by sales of HFCs and PFCs for re-charge. For the full report click here. |
NFPA to Issue Next Edition of NFPA 2001 |  The next edition of NFPA 2001, Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems, will be published later in 2011. Updates will capture advancements in technologies and the latest thinking on the subject. NFPA 2001, Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems, which is published by Milosh Puchovsky, PE, FSFPE, WPI, Worcester, Mass., serves as the principal (primary) standard covering clean agents and the systems used to store and discharge the agents for fire protection purposes. Click here for the full story. |
International Ozone News |
- The thirty-first meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol will be held in Montreal, Canada, instead of Bangkok, Thailand. The dates of the meeting, 1-5 August 2011, remain unchanged.
- Nairobi - A public-private partnership conceived and supported by UNEP's OzonAction team has received the prestigious Roy Family Award given by Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Reviewers praised Refrigerants, Naturally!' s impact on an important and often overlooked problem - persistent fluorinated gases (so called F-gases such as CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs) in the atmosphere - and held it up as a pragmatic and effective example of corporations and environmental organizations working together to reduce severe threats to the global environment.
- LONDON: The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is calling for an end to the expensive United Nations (UN) program costing almost a billion euros a year to capture and destroy the super greenhouse gas HFC-23.
To read all of the news, click here.
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Best of the Web |
Published by Steve O'Donnell on May 8th, 2008
Hot-aisle/cold-aisle containment - a variation on the traditional data center best practice of hot-aisle/cold-aisle design - is a way for data centers to isolate hot and cold air streams so they don't mix with one another and cause energy inefficiencies. But when isolating those air streams, data centers can leave themselves vulnerable to violating fire codes that require detection and prevention devices throughout the room.
Click here to read the full article.
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Newest Wesco Facility is Open for Business |
Here are some photos from the newest Wesco facility in Indiana. You can check out more pictures here.  
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Did you know? |
- New Jersey was the home of more hand portable fire extinguishers companies than any other state in the US. They included: Kidde (Belleville), Fyr-Fyter (Newark), Pem All (Cranford), Stop Fire (New Brunswick), RC Industries (Linden) and Graviner Swordsman (Plainfield). Also, Amerex has New Jersey roots. Ned Paine's partner; George Baureis, owned Automatic Industries in Scotch Plains, N.J., which manufactured valves and some cylinder assembly for Amerex as well as Badger. Amerex has since purchased Automatic Industries and moved it to the manufacturing facility in Trussville, Alabam.
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If you have any questions, comments, would like to be featured in a future Halon Herald, or would like to be added to our mailing list for this newsletter, please contact Kari Buser at kbuser@ushalonbank.com. WESCO HMB
1.800.433.1751 www.ushalonbank.com OUR BLOG   |
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