The current administration will postpone enforcement of two environmental regulations from the previous presidency that control refrigerants, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Thursday as part of efforts to reverse environmental policies.
The postponement will impact grocery stores, semiconductor companies and other businesses that rely on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), powerful greenhouse gases found in cooling and air conditioning equipment. These compliance mandates originated from a 2023 EPA regulation designed to cut emissions of these super-pollutants.
President Donald Trump’s administration has reversed almost all regulations that targeted greenhouse gas emission reductions.
The EPA also plans to suggest eliminating additional HFC restrictions through a different regulation that impacts companies transporting refrigerated products, according to Zeldin.
According to Zeldin, relaxing these regulations would cut consumer expenses, with projected savings exceeding $2.4 billion.
“Americans were right to be frustrated with the Biden-era refrigerant rules,” Zeldin said in a statement. “They didn’t protect human health or the environment and instead piled on costly, unattainable restrictions beyond what the law requires.”
The cooling and air conditioning sector had generally backed earlier regulatory measures, and several industry groups stated the postponement would ultimately increase expenses for manufacturers, food retailers and consumers since they would need more refrigerants.
The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute condemned grocery chains that advocated for this reversal, claiming it would increase prices by limiting the availability of current refrigerants.
“This was never a rule forcing stores to replace existing equipment. It was a rule for new equipment. The EPA has no analysis showing that delaying these dates will lower costs for consumers,” said Steven Yurek, president of AHRI.
Last week, the EPA also suggested reducing wastewater restrictions for coal-powered plants, stating the modifications would decrease electricity expenses.
