This Legislature hereby recognizes that air-conditioning systems
which use Freon gases and other chorofluoride carbons (CFCs) may cause
environmental damage in emergencies and breakdowns by releasing chemicals
into the air. This Legislature further finds and determines that a
patented process has been developed to install a refrigerant conservation
device on the relief line of air-conditioning units which would divert
any escaping gases into a holding tank, instead of into the air, and
which would automatically shut the system off until it was repaired.
Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to require refrigerant conservation
devices on County-owned or -operated air-conditioning systems and
to establish a model for the state and other municipalities to follow
so that the cumulative impact of such local initiatives can ultimately
reduce, if not eliminate, environmental damage caused by CFCs.
This chapter shall apply to air-conditioning systems installed
on or after the effective date of this chapter.