The American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM Act) authorizes EPA to address hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in three main ways: phasing down their production and consumption, maximizing reclamation and minimizing releases from equipment, and facilitating the transition to next-generation technologies through sector-based restrictions. This proposed rule focuses on the third area – the transition to alternatives through sector-based restrictions.
Consistent with the AIM Act, EPA is proposing to restrict the use of certain higher-global warming potential (GWP) HFCs in aerosols, foams, and refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump products and equipment. The proposed rule would prohibit the manufacture and import of products containing restricted HFCs by January 1, 2025, in most cases, and would prohibit the sale, distribution, and export of products containing restricted HFCs a year later, which in most cases would be January 1, 2026.
The EPA Administrator, Michael S. Regan, signed the following notice on 12/07/22, and EPA is submitting it for publication in the Federal Register (FR).
"While we have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this Internet version of the rule, it is not the official version of the rule for purposes of compliance or effectiveness. Please refer to the official version in a forthcoming FR publication, which will appear on the Government Printing Office’s govinfo website and on Regulations.gov in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0643. Once the official version of this document is published in the FR, this version replaced with a link to the official version."
A prepublication version of the proposed rule is available here: