Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program

Under Section 612 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program reviews substitutes within a comparative risk framework. The SNAP program evolves the list of alternatives as the EPA makes decisions informed by its overall understanding of the environmental and human health impacts as well as its current knowledge about available substitutes.
The President’s Climate Action Plan calls on EPA to use its authority under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program to encourage private sector investment in low-emissions technology by identifying and approving climate-friendly chemicals while prohibiting certain uses of the most harmful chemical alternatives. Read more about the Climate Action Plan and SNAP’s latest actions.
In May 2016, DoD, GSA, and NASA published a final rule amending the Federal Acquisitions Regulation to procure alternatives to high-GWP HFCs. EPA has developed materials and products for the federal sector, including an HFC Emissions Accounting Tool to support federal agencies in calculating and reporting their HFC emissions. Find the tool and other resources for agencies on the Federal Sector page.
Manufacturers, formulators, and end-users can submit their proposed substitute under the SNAP program. Submission forms and details can be found in the Submit a Substitute section.

What's New

EPA issues final rule listing new substitutes and prohibiting certain high-GWP HFCs as alternatives under SNAP (9/26/2016)

EPA publishes notice to expand list of climate-friendly refrigerants under SNAP (05/23/16)

Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program

Class I Substance: one of several groups of chemicals with an ozone-depletion potential of 0.2 or higher

Class I substances listed in the Clean Air Act (CAA) include CFCs, halons, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform. EPA later added HBFCs and methyl bromide to the list by regulation. A table of class I substances shows their lifetime ODPs, GWPs, and CAS numbers.

Class II Substance: a chemical with an ozone-depletion potential of less than 0.2

Currently, all of the HCFCs are class II substances. Lists of class II substances with their ODPs, GWPs, and CAS numbers are available.

About The Program

SNAP Decisions

Resources

Submit a Substitute

Substitutes by Industrial Sector

Federal Agencies

Click here for more information on reducing hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) use and emissions in the Federal Sector.

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