He was arrested under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020.
Washington:
A California man has become the first person in the United States to be charged with illegally smuggling greenhouse gases into the country, officials said Monday.
Michael Hart of San Diego was arrested under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020, which prohibits the importation of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) without appropriate permits from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
HFCs are potent greenhouse gases commonly found in refrigerators and air conditioners, building insulation, fire suppression systems and aerosols. They are hundreds to thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, exacerbating the climate crisis.
According to the Justice Department, Hart purchased the refrigerant in Mexico and used his vehicle to smuggle it into the United States concealed under a tarp and tools.
He then posted the items on OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace and other sites, selling them for a profit.
“Illegal trafficking of hydrofluorocarbons … undermines international efforts to combat climate change under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol,” said David Uhlmann of the US Environmental Protection Agency, referring to It is an agreement signed by the United States and most countries.
It calls for phasing out 80-85% of superpollutants by 2047.
The indictment also accuses Hart of importing HCFC 22, an ozone-depleting substance regulated under the Clean Air Act. Mexico, as a developing country, has a longer timetable to phase out such pollutants than the United States, as a developed country.
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