NEW CLEAN AIR RULES UP ANTE ON REPAIRS

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- After Wednesday, consumers will pay up to twice as much to have their air conditioners and refrigerators repaired.

That's when new federal regulations aimed at protecting the Earth's ozone layer will take effect.

The "Clean Air Act" requires that refrigerant gases those used in everything from household and commercial refrigerators and coolers to automobile air conditioners be captured and recycled rather than released into the atmosphere.

And by the end of the year, refrigerant for air conditioner repairs won't even be available to anyone other than licensed contractors and mechanics.

Refrigerants like Freon or R-12 contain chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. The chemicals are believed to damage the ozone layer, which blocks the sun's harmful effects.

Leonard Jansen, of Jaymac Equipment Corp., said the new regulations will dramatically increase typical refrigeration repair bills.

He said the costs of purchasing reclaiming devises, in addition to increased labor required to find even a slow leak, will be passed on to consumers.

"It isn't hard to see where the cost of doing these kinds of repair jobs could double," Jansen said.

Ralph Flori of Flori Sales and Service in Cape Girardeau said the Clean Air Act is confusing in that it only mandates that contractors won't be able to release refrigerant into the air. The measure also includes stiff penalties for violators.

"We don't really know too much except that it's very frightening when there's a $15,000 fine and length of time in prison for venting refrigerants," Flori said.

"But I do know that every man, woman or boy on the street is going to pay for this and pay for it dearly."

Flori said the added repair and equipment replacement costs for supermarkets, convenience stores and other businesses also will be passed on to consumers through higher prices for goods and services.

And because everyone is subject to the ban on releasing refrigerants including the penalties for non-compliance appliances will have to be drained of the gases before they're discarded.

"They're probably going to have to pay one of us to pump the refrigerant out of it just so they can throw it away," Flori said.

Jansen questioned the need for the restrictions. He said he doubted whether CFCs are as dangerous as feared.

"I think it's a big joke," he said. "I do not believe that these chlorofluorocarbons are the threat that they'd have us believe."

Jansen compared the concern over CFCs with past "hysteria" over dioxin in the Missouri town of Time Beach. The community, near St. Louis, was closed down by fears of the cancer-causing effects of dioxin found in used oil that was spread on gravel streets.

Last year, some scientists reported the threat from dioxin at Times Beach was exaggerated. "Who's to say that's not the situation here?" he said.

"Who do you believe?" said Flori of the supposed risk. "I've got some articles that say a volcano releases more chlorine in the atmosphere than I'll ever be able to release from refrigeration units."

Because of the Clean Air Act, contractors no longer will be able to simply add refrigerant to slowly leaking units at relatively little expense. Instead, they'll be required to find and fix all leaks adding to labor and equipment costs.

Jansen said the costs for purchasing refrigerant reclaiming equipment alone could total more than $10,000 for many contractors. Those costs, and charges for sending unused gases to manufacturers for recycling, will be passed on to consumers, he said.

Automobile air conditioners will be subject to equally restrictive rules, which likely will double or triple repair costs, according to some mechanics.

In January, the government ordered companies that service 100 or more automobile air conditioners annually to capture and recycle the gases.

By year's end, all shops servicing auto air conditioners must comply with the new rules, which means they'll have to buy new equipment and train and certify their mechanics.

Also, car owners no longer will be able to service their own air conditioners. Only licensed mechanics will be able to buy the 12- to 16-ounce cans of Freon gas used to "recharge" air conditioners, and after 1995, no one will be allowed to manufacture Freon.

Auto parts stores in the Cape Girardeau area have had difficulty keeping shelves stocked with Freon as consumers hear of the imminent ban.

Kathy Bowers, assistant manager at Cape Girardeau's Autozone, said the store Sunday was sold out of Freon.

"It's been hard keeping it stocked," she said. "People are kind of buying it up because it won't be available to them later."

Robert Nations, owner and operator of Master Mechanic at 1477 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, said the restrictions will place a financial burden on the auto repair industry particularly small businesses as the additional costs are passed on to customers.

But Nations said the regulations are needed to insure a safe environment.

"We're for clean air and doing the best for the environment we can," Nations said. "We've seen a lot of changes in new technology to make the automobile compatible with our environment.

"This is just one of the steps of having a clean automobile. In the long run, it's going to be good. We all have to look at our world first."

But Jansen said he doubted whether the Clean Air Act can be adequately enforced throughout the country. He said that although many contractors will do their best to comply, some simply will ignore the regulations.

"It's going to make us look like thieves for charging customers for what the government says we're supposed to do," he said. "I think we've got a big problem that I don't think the government is prepared to deal with."

Jansen said the only people who won't suffer from the rules will be manufacturers of refrigeration equipment and refrigerant reclamation devices and the federal government. He said the tax on a 30-pound container of R-12 refrigerant, for example, is about $180.

"What's the government going to do with that tax money?" he said. "They're not going to fix the hole that's supposedly in the ozone. "They're going to spend it and misuse it like they do with the rest of the money they take from us."