When was the production of halons banned?
Under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the U.S. banned the production and import of virgin halons 1211, 1301, and 2402 beginning January 1, 1994 in compliance with the Montreal Protocol On Substances That Deplete The Ozone Layer. Recycled halon and inventories produced before January 1, 1994, are now the only sources of supply. EPA’s final rule published March 5, 1998, (63 FR 11084) bans the formulation of any blend of two or more of these halons with one exception. An exemption is provided for halon blends formulated using recycled halon solely for the purpose of aviation fire protection, provided that blends produced under this exemption are recycled to meet the relevant purity standards for each individual halon. A fact sheet summarizing this rule is also available from the Stratospheric Ozone Protection Hotline.
