Arlington, Virginia, USA, 29 January 2019: AHRI offered testimony on January 17, 2019, on H.B. 1112, a Washington bill aimed at phasing-down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), in a public hearing of the US House Environment and Energy Committee, the Association announced in a Press communiqué. A Senate companion bill for this legislation was introduced last week and referred to the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee, the communiqué said.

According to AHRI, the bill directs the US Secretary of Natural Resources to create rules that establish a schedule to reduce HFC use by 40% from the 2013 level, by 2030. The bill implements restrictions on the use of substitutes identified by the Secretary of Natural Resources that are deemed by the Secretary to reduce the overall risk to human health or the environment when a lower risk substitute is available, the communiqué said. These restrictions on residential consumer refrigeration products that are not built-in or compact in size would take effect on January 1, 2022, and on built-in products on January 1, 2023, the communiqué further said. The deadlines may be modified by the Secretary of Natural Resources, the communiqué added.

In addition, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order on January 23, 2019, making Illinois the 18th state to join the U.S. Climate Alliance, the communiqué said. The press release notes that 43% of Americans now live in a Climate Alliance state, the communiqué further said. One of the main initiatives of the Alliance is to reduce the emissions from short-lived climate pollutants, such as HFCs, the communiqué added.

According to AHRI, legislation has been introduced in three state legislatures to phase-down the use of HFC refrigerants. The communiqué said that on January 17, 2019, Vermont Senator Chris Pearson introduced S. 30, which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Energy. The communiqué further said that the bill directly relates to reducing and regulating greenhouse gas emissions from HFCs.