California man becomes first in US charged with smuggling greenhouse gases

LOS ANGELES-- A suspect from the US western city of San Diego was arrested and charged Monday with smuggling potent greenhouse gases into the United States from Mexico and then selling them for profit, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California.

A press release from the office showed that Michael Hart, 58, is accused of hiding the hydrofluorocarbons, also known as HFCs, in his vehicle to transport them across the border from Mexico, in violation of regulations intended to curb the use of greenhouse gases and slow climate change.

The indictment also claimed that Hart posted the refrigerants for sale on OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace and other sites, and sold them for a profit. In addition to greenhouse gases, Hart was alleged of importing HCFC 22, an ozone-depleting substance regulated under the Clean Air Act.

This is the first prosecution in the United States to include charges related to the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 (AIM Act). The AIM Act prohibits the importation of HFCs, commonly used as refrigerants, without allowances issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

HFCs are considered a major driver of global warming and have been targeted in climate legislation and treaties worldwide. Smuggling the environmentally harmful gases became illegal in the United States in 2020.

"Anyone who seeks to profit from illegal actions that worsen climate change must be held accountable. This arrest highlights the significance of EPA's climate enforcement initiative and our efforts to prevent refrigerants that are climate super pollutants from illegally entering the United States," the press release read.