ACtion Magazine - July 2012 - (Page 18)

Massachusetts R2R moves forward On May 17th, the Massachusetts Senate passed the state’s controversial proposed “Right to Repair” bill which now moves to the state House of Representatives for their approval. The bill had passed in the Senate two years ago but failed to gain House approval. If passed this time, it would go into effect for the 2015 model year. Massachusetts would become the first state with such legislation. Should it not be enacted in the legislature this time, by law the matter could be put before voters in the November election but supporters would have to gather and certify 11,485 new petition signatures by July 3rd. The proposed bill has met stiff opposition for several years from numerous groups including vehicle manufacturers but is actively supported by other national industry groups. All participants acknowledge that there is still time for either outright passage or a compromise, and if an acceptable solution can be reached the matter need not appear on the public ballot. A major point of contention involves how the law would be enforced; as written now, any shop or consumer could sue a vehicle manufacturer under the state’s consumer protection statutes for failing to provide required information. Winning such a suit would entitle the plaintiff to triple damages. Opponents foresee a rise in nuisance suits plus increased costs during the inevitable appeals processes—they argue that any new law, if passed, should be enforced by the attorney general’s office. Honeywell comments on Euro appeal As reported earlier, the European Patent Office (EPO) recently moved to overturn a patent held by Honeywell International relative to certain chemicals including HFO1234yf. The company has appealed the decision and noted that the patent remains in effect during the appeal process. Commenting on the appeal, Sabine Chmielewski. Honeywell Specialty Materials’ director of communication Europe, Middle East, Africa and India, said, “We are confident that this patent will be upheld as valid. This patent is just one in a strong and growing portfolio of patents Honeywell has related to applications for HFO1234yf. Having spent significant amount of time and research investment in developing this solution, we intend to continue to vigorously defend our patent portfolio in this area. “We disagree with the European Patent Office’s findings and that’s why we have appealed this ruling. During the ongoing appeal, the patent will remain in full force during Honeywell’s appeal. This is also just one of many patents we own regarding the application of 1234yf and we intend to defend our position.” HC’s coming to domestic cooling Last year, the U.S. EPA moved to allow the use of certain hydrocarbon refrigerants in new domestic stationary units such as refrigerators, freezers and window air conditioners. That side of the industry is now gearing up for production of both refrigerants and system components. R-441A, (sold under the trade name HCR-188C), is now approved for sale in the United States. The chemical will begin to appear in domestic units and carries nearzero ratings for both ozone depletion and global warming potential. The refrigerant is a proprietary blend of several hydrocarbons including percentages of ethane, butane and propane. ASHRAE has certified the mixture as non-toxic and assigned it to safety group A3. 2012 European Auto A/C Convention Reader Reply No. 48 18 ACTION • July/August 2012 The 2012 European Automotive A/C Convention (EAAC) and Trade Show, September 17th and 18th in Frankfurt http://www.gpdhd.com http://www.gpdhd.com http://www.macsw.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=ACtion_Reader_Reply&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8247

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - July 2012

ACtion Magazine - July 2012
Contents
Outlook
Expansion Valve
Technically RELAY-ted
Under the Southern Cross
Leonard’s Law
Cooling Corner
Virtual View
News & Updates
KME: Where Custom Is the Norm
Five-Alarm Maintenance
ACtion Magazine Staff Win IAMC Awards
Association News
Quick Check
New Products & Services
Last Watch

ACtion Magazine - July 2012