Advocacy
Customs and Border Patrol Cracking Down on Illegal HFC Smuggling
March 7, 2024 | 2 minute read
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced it has arrested and charged an individual in San Diego for smuggling HFC refrigerants across the border from Mexico. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been working with Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to increase searches for smuggling of HFC refrigerants in connection with the phase-down of HFCs under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act.
The individual was arrested for bringing refrigerants into the country from Mexico and selling the cylinders on social media sites, including Facebook Marketplace and Offerup. While sales of cylinders have been widespread in violation of Section 608 of the Clean Air Act, this is the first arrest for the smuggling of refrigerant.
EPA is promoting the arrest as a win for their enforcement. “The illegal smuggling of hydrofluorocarbons, a highly potent greenhouse gas, undermines international efforts to combat climate change under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol,” said David M. Uhlmann, EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Anyone who seeks to profit from illegal actions that worsen climate change must be held accountable. This arrest highlights the significance of EPA’s climate enforcement initiative and our efforts to prevent refrigerants that are climate super pollutants from illegally entering the United States.”
This case is a win for distributors and contractors forced to compete with illegal behavior in servicing and installing HVACR equipment.
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Alex Ayers
Alex Ayers is the Vice President of Government Affairs for Heating, Air-conditioning, & Refrigeration Distributors International. As a recovering political nerd and current policy wonk, Alex is HARDI’s primary lobbyist and regulatory expert. Growing up in Iowa, Alex was exposed early to local politics through the first in the nation Iowa Caucuses, participating as a county caucus delegate to develop the grassroots planks that go into creating the party platform. Since moving to Washington, DC, Alex has spent over a decade lobbying, publishing papers, and testifying in various policy areas, including taxes, energy, environment, agriculture, and economics. His research has been cited by organizations such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Tax Foundation.
Expertise: HVACR Policy, Government Affairs, and Political Advocacy
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