Posted on 12/06/2024 9:17:30 PM PST by Libloather
The Biden administration boasted in an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report released Thursday about the unprecedented prosecution of a California man for “smuggling greenhouse gases” across the border from Mexico and selling them online.
Michael Hart, 58, was arrested in March and pleaded guilty in September to charges related to transporting refrigerants into the US to peddle on Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp and other online vendors between June and December 2022.
Biden’s EPA touted the crackdown on Hart, the first-ever person charged for climate change-related bootlegging of refrigerants — namely, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HFCs) — without the agency’s approval, in its report.
When charging the San Diego resident earlier this year, US Attorney Tara McGrath vowed “it will not be the last” case of its kind.
“We are using every means possible to protect our planet from the harm caused by toxic pollutants, including bringing criminal charges,” the prosecutor from the Southern District of California said.
Hart concealed the refrigerants, or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HFCs), under a tarp and some tools in his pickup truck when crossing the border, according to federal prosecutors.
The importation of HFCs, a synthetic refrigerant typically used in older air conditioning systems, is outlawed under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act of 2020 — passed as part of a government spending bill in December of that year.
In total, the EPA report revealed 121 criminal defendants have been charged with climate crimes in 2024 — the highest amount since Biden, 82, took office — and that it concluded more than 1,850 civil cases.
The environmental authority also reported slapping $1.7 billion in penalties on climate offenders in the latest fiscal year, the highest level reached under Biden.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Refrigerants have changed and are changing so fast that HVAC units are becoming obsolete because they need to be recharged. Even units only a few years old. R-410A units are soon to become useless if they need to be recharged. 410A is harder to contain without leaks because of the significantly higher operating pressures.
I remember the scams used to ban r12.
Biden smuggles greenhouse gases in his diaper all the time!
With instructions as these will they arrest pot growers?
“How to Use CO2 in Your Cannabis Garden
To utilize CO2 effectively, you need to maintain the right balance.
Here’s how:
CO2 Levels: Aim for 1,200 to 2,000 ppm for optimal plant growth.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.