California Trying to Ban Sale of Automotive Refrigerant to Consumers

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Californians are at risk of losing their right to work on their own vehicle air conditioner, as a proposed law to ban the sale of 134a refrigerant is moving through the state bureaucracy and may become law soon.

The consumer ban, being proposed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), targets the very people who can least afford to have this service performed at a repair shop and places an economic burden upwards of $167 million on fixed and lower income Californians. To stop this proposed law, a coalition has formed -- “Stay Cool California” -- to protect Californians' ability to do it themselves and spread the word to consumers who take pride in working on their vehicles.

If enacted, Californians will no longer be permitted to purchase cans of auto refrigerant, and will be forced to pay a repair shop or auto dealership up to $150 or more for something that Californians can do themselves -- at a fraction of the cost.

“Instead of going after oil companies and utilities that emit millions of tons of greenhouse gases, the California Air Resources Board is aiming its regulatory guns on consumers who prefer to work on their own cars,” stated Tom Brown, a coalition spokesperson. “What costs consumers $10 today for a can of auto refrigerant, will cost them $150 or more tomorrow if CARB gets their way. That’s just not fair for those people who cannot afford to take their car to a repair shop to have this very simple and necessary service done.”

“Stay Cool California” has launched a web site, www.staycoolcalifornia.com, to educate and motivate consumers, auto enthusiasts and hobbyists and do-it yourselfers to take action and send a message to the Legislature urging their help in opposing this proposed consumer ban that hurts hundreds of thousands of Californians right in their pocketbooks.

Based on a combination of sales data and a study performed by Frost and Sullivan, the retail sales ban of 134a refrigerant would have a negligible impact on emissions of global warming gases. The Frost and Sullivan study predicts a $167 million incremental cost to the citizens of California and a windfall for professional service facilities in the State of California. Furthermore, the brunt of the economic burden of the reductions will fall on low and fixed income Californians that work on their own air conditioners because they cannot afford professional service.

“We understand the need to reduce global warming in California and the members of our coalition are committed to doing this. But targeting low and fixed income Californians is no way to reduce global warming and is unfair and discriminatory. CARB should be going after sources where more substantial greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved at much lower cost to the citizens of California,” continued Tom Brown.

Stay Cool California encourages all consumers to visit their web site at www.staycoolcalifornia.com today to stop this misguided use of their tax dollars and fight for their right to work on their own vehicle.