California man first in U.S. charged with smuggling greenhouse gases

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Axios

9 hours ago


A Californian man pleaded not guilty on Monday after being arrested and charged for allegedly smuggling greenhouse gases from Mexico into the U.S. and selling them for profit, prosecutors said.

Why it matters: Michael Hart, 58, of San Diego, faces the first-ever prosecution in the U.S. to include charges related to the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 (AIM Act) for allegedly smuggling hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a potent greenhouse gas used in refrigeration and air conditioning.

That's according to the Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency, which note HFCs have a high global warming potential. Some are higher than 1,000 times the warming potential of CO2, according to EPA data.

The illegal smuggling of hydrofluorocarbons "undermines international efforts to combat climate change" under an amendment to the landmark Montreal Protocol, said David Uhlmann, EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, in a statement.

Details: The Department of Justice alleges that Hart bought refrigerants in Mexico and smuggled them into the U.S. in his vehicle, "concealed under a tarp and tools."

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2024/03/05/california-man-smuggling-greenhouse-gases-charge

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Link to EPA NEWS RELEASE - California man arrested for smuggling potent greenhouse gases into the United States

[sop]

1. For a second there I thought the guy ate some bad enchiladas in Mexico and passed gas in the U.S.

[Scruffy1]

3. R22 has been illegal since 1920.

Freon was a DuPont tradmark and they got out of the business a long time ago.

[sop]

4. R410A refrigerant is also being phased out.

[TeamProg]

2. Perhaps it was the older Freon R12(?) that older auto AC required before

the newer R22 became the law.

The only reason I’m familiar with this is because one of my sports cars’ AC had to be converted.

The older R12 Freon is illegal and impossible to find, I learned.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. I'm guessing there is still a big market

for recharging old freezers and cooling units.

[sir pball]

6. It's illegal to manufacture and import (hence this guy) but not illegal to own, sell or use.

Not sure where you were looking for it but there's actually quite a bit of New Old Stock still out there, all perfectly legal. At 6x the cost of R134, which makes converting your AC a no-brainer, but if you're obsessed with Originality you can still get a bottle big enough to last the rest of your life.

https://refrigerantfinders.com/what-is-refrigerant-r12/

https://www.refrigerantdepot.com/product/r-12/
https://www.refrigerantdepot.com/product/r-134a-johnsens-automotive-30-cylinder/

[TeamProg]

7. Ah, 134! That is it. I think I was confusing the Freon # with an old Toyota truck engine model. Thanks. nt

[DiceK]

8. It hurts

So many jokes inside, hurts to contain them!