FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2026
City Completes Refrigerants Management Plan
KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston is one of the first municipalities in New York State to complete a Refrigerants Management Plan, a plan to properly and safely manage the gases responsible for cooling homes and appliances.
Mayor Noble said, “We are so pleased to present our municipal Refrigerant Management Plan during Earth Week. When refrigerants are allowed to escape the atmosphere, they become an intense greenhouse gas. A single pound can have the same greenhouse gas effect as 4,715 pounds of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. We hope with the creation of this plan, as a city we can help prevent many metric tons of CO2e emissions in Kingston alone, and be an example for other municipalities around the state.”
In 2025, Kingston contracted Sustainable Hudson Valley and Michael Helme of New Yorkers for Cool Refrigerant Management to design a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind, municipal refrigerant management program. As part of the project, the team conducted a refrigerant inventory, policy review, and robust community outreach campaign.
Sustainability Coordinator and Project Manager Julie Noble said, “We hope this project will serve as a model for other municipalities and organizations, helping to guide the creation of inventories, the design refrigerant management policies, and help to raise awareness for this high-impact, but often overlooked, climate solution.”
Leaks of these pollutants significantly contribute to climate change. Refrigerants are chemicals that play an essential role in refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pumps. Changing back and forth from liquid to gas as they transfer heat, they are invisible and odorless. Refrigerants are harmless when properly used, but can cause burns when handled improperly.
Appliances containing refrigerants, include:
- Refrigerators and freezers
- Air conditioners and central air systems
- Automotive air conditioning systems
To assist residents with proper disposal, the City will be collecting refrigerant containing appliances for free at the 2026 Kingston Earth Fair from 11:00am-5:00pm at TR Gallo Park. More information can be found at www.kingston-ny.gov/earthfair.
City staff, along with NY for Cool Refrigerant Management will be presenting on the City’s plan at a free webinar, How to Develop a Municipal Refrigerant Management Plan, hosted by the Hudson Valley Regional Council on May 18, 2026, from 12:00pm-1:00pm. More information and event registration can be found here.
Funding for the Refrigerant Management Plan was provided by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. This plan was created in collaboration with Sustainable Hudson Valley and NY for Cool Refrigerant Management.
For more information on how to recycle refrigerants, how to conduct regular maintenance on refrigerant systems, and more, please visit https://www.kingston-ny.gov/refrigerants.