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border in his car, hidden under a tarp and tools, McGrath's office said in their announcement. The indictment against Hart alleges that he bought refrigerants in Mexico and smuggled them over the U.S. "We are using every means possible to protect our planet from the harm caused by toxic pollutants, including bringing criminal charges." "This is the first time the Department of Justice is prosecuting someone for illegally importing greenhouse gases, and it will not be the last," McGrath said. Attorney Tara McGrath, who represents California's southern district, called the indictment "a significant milestone for our country" in a separate statement. The American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 authorized officials at the Environmental Protection Agency to sharply limit the production and consumption of HFCs, which are powerful greenhouse gases commonly used for refrigeration and air conditioning.
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"We are committed to enforcing the AIM Act and other laws that seek to prevent environmental harm." This May 16, 2021, photo shows window air conditioners in New York. "It is illegal to import certain refrigerants into the United States because of their documented and significantly greater contribution to climate change," said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim, of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division, in a statement issued after Hart's arrest. He could face decades in prison if convicted on any one of the charges related to illegal importation. Hart faces 13 separate charges, including conspiracy, importation contrary to law, multiple counts of selling imported merchandise contrary to law and criminal forfeiture. More restrictions on the use of certain HFCs will take effect next year, according to the EPA. is illegal, and officials are working to phase down new manufacturing of the compounds within the country. The AIM Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to reduce production and consumption nationwide of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, since they have been identified as one of the most potent greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere and contributing to rising temperatures.Īt this point, smuggling HFCs into the U.S. and selling them for profit, which violates regulations set in 2020 to slow climate change under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act. Michael Hart, a 58-year-old San Diego resident, is accused of bringing hydrofluorocarbons - chemical compounds commonly used for refrigeration and air conditioning - from Mexico to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Southern California announced on Monday. A man has been arrested and charged in San Diego for smuggling greenhouse gases into the United States, marking the first prosecution of its kind in the country, the U.S.