(AGENPARL) – ven 06 settembre 2024 Issued: Sep 6, 2024 (11:00am EDT)
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EPA Issues Enforcement Alert to Address Illegal Import of Hydrofluorocarbons
into the United States
EPA increasing civil and criminal enforcement efforts due to the global
phasedown of HFCs, a climate super pollutant
WASHINGTON – Today, Sept. 6, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued
an Enforcement Alert regarding its work under the American Innovation and
Manufacturing Act (AIM Act) to phase down production and consumption of
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The agency’s new alert provides information on
common compliance issues observed with the importation of bulk HFCs and
highlights recent civil and criminal enforcement actions. The alert is
intended to help address the climate crisis and ensure that companies comply
with the law and take the necessary steps to avoid potential EPA enforcement
actions.
HFCs are potent, super polluting greenhouse gases with a global warming
potential that can be hundreds to thousands of times greater than carbon
dioxide that are commonly used in refrigeration, air conditioning, and other
sectors. EPA’s efforts under the AIM Act are part of a global HFC phasedown
that when fully implemented, is expected to reduce global warming by up to 0.5
degrees Celsius.
“After another summer of record-breaking heat, the urgency of the climate
crisis continues to accelerate. The Biden-Harris administration is committed
to meeting our goals to phasedown HFCs, which contribute dramatically to
near-term climate change, so that our children and grandchildren can have a
sustainable future,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann, of
EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA and its law
enforcement partners will police our borders and ports to halt HFC smuggling
to protect our nation from the harmful effects of climate super pollutants.”
The AIM Act of 2020 mandates an 85 percent phasedown of HFCs from historic
baseline levels by the year 2036 and authorizes the EPA to place limits on
production and consumption (including imports), facilitate the transition to
next-generation technologies, and minimize releases from equipment using HFCs
while maximizing the re-use of existing HFCs. EPA’s enforcement office
ensures the HFC phasedown rules are being followed and works to maintain a
level playing field for regulated companies. The alert highlights EPA’s
recent pursuit of entities that sought to unlawfully import HFCs without the
required allowances, submitted false or misleading information, or failed to
report required information under the AIM Act.
The United States is committed to its obligations under the Kigali Amendment
to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The AIM
Act was passed by Congress to implement the U.S. commitments to the Kigali
Amendment that the U.S. officially ratified in October 2022.
So far in fiscal year 2024, EPA has completed nine civil settlements to
resolve claims of unlawful imports of HFCs. The most recent settlements were
against five companies – Clean Venture, Inc., HVAC Services, Liferafts
Incorporated of Puerto Rico, Little Leaf Farms, LLC, and Parker Engineering
and Mechanical, Inc. Each of these companies imported HFCs without allowances
in violation of the AIM Act. If released into the atmosphere, the combined
HFCs prevented from these cases are equivalent to over 24 thousand metric tons
of CO2, or about the same amount of CO2 produced from powering over 14
thousand homes with electricity for a year. The companies will pay a combined
total of $115,551 in civil penalties to resolve the alleged violations. In
addition, criminal enforcement actions have also been taken in fiscal year
2024.
The “EPA Targeting Illegal Imports of Hydrofluorocarbon Super-Pollutants to
Combat Climate Change” enforcement alert is available on the EPA website.
More information related to HFCs, the AIM Act, and the Mitigating Climate
Change National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative are available on EPA’s
website: 
National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative: Mitigating Climate Change.
Enforcement of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020.  
Protecting Our Climate by Reducing Use of HFCs.
If you suspect someone is illegally importing HFCs, tell EPA at its Report
Environmental Violations webpage. Information you submit will be forwarded to
EPA environmental enforcement personnel or to the appropriate regulatory
authority.
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