RMIEPAThe Republic of the Marshall Islands
Environmental Protection Authority
OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTANCES (ODS)

ODS is a group of chemicals that cause damages to the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere. The ozone layer serves as the shield from harmful UV-B and UV-C radiation emitted from the Sun. Depleting the ozone layer allows more radiation to reach the earth. More UV-B means more skin cancers, more eye cataracts, weakened immune systems, damages to ocean eco-systems, reduced fishing yields, and so forth. The ozone-deleted atmosphere has been steadily increased and it is considered as the imminent global environmental issue. As of 2000, the ozone hole reached 29 million square kilometers in size.

There are 96 chemicals presently designated as ODS and controlled by the Montreal Protocol. Included are CFCs, Halons, Carbon tetrachloride, Methyl chloroform, HBFCs, HCFCs, Methyl bromide, and BCM. These chemicals are widely used in refrigerators, air conditioners, spray cans, solvents and other applications.
In accordance with global effort to phase out the use of these chemicals, Marshall Islands has been involved in the regional Pacific ODS Project coordinated by SPREP, UNEP, Australia and New Zealand. The project is now on the second phase called Implementation of the Regional Strategy, in which participating countries are to phase out the consumption of CFCs by 2005.