Kathabar Incorporated Elizabethtown Plant - Cooling Tower Facility in Elizabethtown, North Carolina

The Kathabar Incorporated Elizabethtown Plant is a cooling tower facility located at 1301 South Poplar Street in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. Situated in Bladen County, this operational plant serves the industrial cooling needs of the region. As part of the United States' cooling infrastructure, it contributes to the local manufacturing sector. This facility operates under NAICS code 333415, which covers air-conditioning and warm air heating equipment and commercial and industrial refrigeration equipment manufacturing. In the United States, cooling towers are regulated under ASHRAE 15 for refrigeration safety, and the facility likely adheres to these standards. The plant's scale is typical for a manufacturing facility supporting industrial processes in the southeastern US. The environmental significance of cooling towers includes their water consumption and refrigerant use. Evaporative cooling towers, common in the US, consume significant water, while refrigerants with high global warming potential (GWP) are regulated under the EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program. The plant's role in the local economy and its compliance with environmental regulations are key aspects of its operation.

Cooling towers in the United States operate under environmental regulations addressing water usage and refrigerant emissions. Evaporative cooling towers consume water and may require treatment to prevent legionella, while air-cooled systems reduce water use but increase energy consumption. Refrigerants used in cooling systems are subject to EPA regulations under the Clean Air Act, with a focus on phasing down high-GWP hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in line with the Kigali Amendment.