EPA Issues Final Rule to Continue Phasedown of Hydrofluorocarbons
Under the rule, a 40 percent reduction will be implemented, the agency said.
- By Alex Saurman
- Jul 14, 2023
On July 11, the EPA issued a final rule that continues the phasedown of a specific greenhouse gas.
According to a news release, the rule will “implement a 40% reduction” of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a gas used in refrigeration and air conditioning that the Washington State Department of Ecology says is “thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide,” from 2024 to 2028.
This final rule comes only two and a half years after the establishment of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, which, per the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, “directs the EPA to implement an 85 percent phasedown of the production and consumption of [HFCs] by 2035.”
Joe Goffman, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator of EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, said in the news release, "The U.S. HFC phasedown program, bolstered by domestic innovation to develop alternative chemicals and equipment, is paving the way for the United States to tackle climate change and strengthen global competitiveness.”
About the Author
Alex Saurman is the Content Editor for Environmental Protection.