Man Charged With Smuggling Greenhouse Gases Into US

In a first-of-its-kind prosecution, a California man was arrested and charged Monday with allegedly smuggling potent, greenhouse gases from Mexico. From a report: Michael Hart, a 58-year-old man from San Diego, pleaded not guilty to smuggling hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs -- commonly used in air conditioning and refrigeration -- and selling them for profit, in a federal court hearing Monday. According to the indictment, Hart allegedly purchased the HFCs in Mexico and smuggled them into the US in the back of his truck, concealed under a tarp and tools. He is then alleged to have sold them for a profit on sites including Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. Hart has pleaded not guilty to 13 charges including conspiracy, importation contrary to law and sale of merchandise imported contrary to law. The charges carry potential prison sentences ranging from five to 20 years.

HFCs, which are also used in building insulation, fire extinguishing systems and aerosols, are banned from import into the US without permission from the Environmental Protection Agency. These greenhouse gases are short-lived in the atmosphere,' but powerful -- some are thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide in the near-term. 'The illegal smuggling of hydrofluorocarbons, a highly potent greenhouse gas, undermines international efforts to combat climate change,' said David M. Uhlmann, the assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. 'Anyone who seeks to profit from illegal actions that worsen climate change must be held accountable,' he added. 'Today is a significant milestone for our country,' said US Attorney Tara McGrath in a statement. 'This is the first time the Department of Justice is prosecuting someone for illegally importing greenhouse gases, and it will not be the last.'

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