EPA slashes regulations on refrigerants finalized during Biden-era
By Morgan Sweeney
The Center Square
The Environmental Protection Agency is slashing some regulations on refrigerants finalized in the Biden-era in an effort it says will reduce grocery costs for Americans and compliance costs for businesses.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the move would save American families more than $2.4 billion.
“It’s safeguarding 350,000 jobs. Just at supermarkets alone, we’re going to see a savings of $800 million, which Americans will be able to see when they go and buy their food,” Zeldin said Thursday.
The agency said it will amend two rules established during President Donald Trump's first time and finalized under the Biden administration as part of its implementation of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020.
The AIM Act was included in a larger omnibus spending package that passed Congress with broad bipartisan support during Trump’s first term. It directed the EPA to reduce the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons by 85% by 2036.
Hydrofluorocarbons are potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerants in refrigerators and air conditioners, and they’re meant to stay within the sealed, closed-loop systems of the appliances. But with damage or wear, those appliances can leak or release HFCs into the atmosphere, where they can trap more heat than carbon dioxide.
The Biden-Harris 2023 Technology Transitions Rule required companies to switch to different refrigerants for residential air conditioning and ammonia or carbon dioxide for supermarket and cold storage refrigeration equipment.
The AIM Act still requires the reduction of HFCs, but the Trump administration is pushing back the compliance deadlines for “a number of subsectors, including residential air conditioning, retail food refrigeration, cold storage warehouses and semiconductor manufacturing,” according to an EPA press release.
The new rule will “balance the AIM Act mandated phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons with ensuring American families have access to functioning air conditioning systems,” a news release reads. "In doing so, businesses will be able to install the refrigerators systems that work best for them and companies can continue making semiconductor chips that power everyday life.”
The Trump administration also plans to amend the 2024 Emissions Reduction and Reclamation program to exclude refrigerated trucks and transport equipment from tighter HFC leak restrictions.
At an event Thursday where the changes were announced, those present – including executives from major grocery chains like Kroger and Piggly Wiggly – were asked if the public could be confident that any savings would be passed on to consumers.
“We're actually right in the middle of doing that at the moment,” said Kroger CEO Greg Foran. “We're concerned about the cost of living. It makes a big difference when you get your pricing right, and we certainly are interested in ensuring that all our customers right across the country are paying the right price.”
Trump assured attendees that there wouldn't be "any impact on the environment."
••• Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 28 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service – and want it to continue – it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.