On April 10, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") filed a complaint for civil penalties against USA Wholesale, Inc. for the illegal import of hydrofluorocarbons ("HFCs"). HFCs are greenhouse gases used...more
The Biden Administration’s focus on climate change mitigation is showcased in a prosecution recently announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Cali- fornia against Michael Hart, who is accused of smuggling...more
Key Takeaways - • What Happened: EPA proposed a new program that would impose leak detection obligations and requirements to use reclaimed hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) for certain equipment. The proposed rule also includes...more
REGULATORY ISSUES & UPDATES - New CFTC Enforcement on Carbon Markets Misconduct - The U.S. CFTC publishes a rare alert soliciting tips about potential manipulation in the carbon markets and announces the formation of...more
On June 20, 2023, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors Int'l v. Envtl. Prot. Agency, No. 21-1251, (D.C. Cir. June 20, 2023),...more
On July 13, 2023, the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) published proposed amendments to Chapter 173-443 WAC, Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Key provisions of the Proposed Rule include...more
Ratification of the Kigali Amendment formally commits the U.S. to a global effort to significantly reduce production and use of HFCs and reinforces the aggressive domestic HFC phasedown begun last year by the AIM Act. ...more
On Wednesday, September 21, 2022, the U.S. Senate gave its advice and consent to the ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer by a bipartisan vote of 69-27. The...more
As routinely covered at Regulatory Oversight, state attorneys general have assumed an ever-more prominent role in driving national regulatory policy through advocacy and enforcement activities. Underlying many of these...more
A group of 14 Democratic AGs led by Massachusetts AG Maura Healey sent a comment letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) to support to Agency’s proposed rule under the American Innovation and Manufacturing...more
On May 3, 2021, EPA announced its first major climate change rule under the Biden Administration, proposing to phase down the manufacture and import of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are potent greenhouse gases. EPA...more
On April 30, 2021, EPA Administrator Michael Regan signed the Biden EPA’s first proposed rule to address greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The nearly 300-page proposal goes into great detail about how EPA proposes...more
Industries impacted by the AIM Act’s HFC phasedown must prepare to address the costs and other challenges of complying with a new and emerging regulatory framework. The American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM Act)...more
On December 27, President Donald Trump signed a $1.4 trillion appropriations package funding the government through September 2021 and a $900 billion fiscal stimulus law for coronavirus aid. Media attention has focused on the...more
Issued by 13 federal agencies, the 2018 Fourth National Climate Assessment presented a stark warning on the consequences of climate change for the United States. ...more
In 1987, the United States signed the Montreal Protocol (Protocol). The Protocol is an international agreement that has been ratified by every nation that is a member of the United Nations. The Protocol requires nations to...more