Irvine Council Votes Fees for Exemptions From CFCs Law

The City Council voted Tuesday to adopt fees for businesses that want to be exempted from the city’s sweeping and controversial law banning the emission of chemicals that damage the Earth’s ozone layer.

Two fees were approved in a 5-0 vote with little discussion.

The action is in connection with Irvine’s law, effective July 1, governing the production and handling of chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, which have been linked to the diminishing ozone layer and global warming. The law, considered the most stringent in the nation, will affect the city’s substantial electronics and high-tech industries, as well as installers of insulation, air conditioner and refrigeration repair firms and restaurants that use food packaging containing CFCs.

City officials say some 5,000 businesses will be affected.

Under the law, companies can apply for exemptions if they can show that a CFC recycling program is being developed or if they are working on a way to reduce or eliminate use of the chemicals.

The fees adopted Tuesday are designed to reimburse the city for the cost of reviewing the exemption applications or consulting with businesses about their compliance with the law.

One fee of $50 is charged to businesses for filing an exemption application, which is estimated to take about one hour of city staff time to review.

A second fee of $50 per hour, beyond that initial one-hour review, is charged if an application requires extra work. As an example, officials said, city staff members may need to work with an outside consultant to develop a program that would meet exemption standards.

CFC emissions are considered a primary cause of depletion of the earth’s ozone layer, a level of the atmosphere that helps filter the sun’s potentially damaging ultraviolet rays.

The law banning use of CFCs in city industry was the first of its kind in the nation when adopted last year by the council.

The Irvine Chamber of Commerce has been supportive of the law and has been working with local businesses to help them comply with the new regulations.