The article, “As Coolant Is Phased Out, Smugglers Reap Large Profits,” was written by Elisabeth Rosenthal and Andrew Lehren. It explained the problem of R-22 refrigerant smuggling and reported on the trial and conviction of an executive who was smuggling R-22 at a large parts distributor based in St. Louis. However, the article’s authors also blamed air conditioning manufacturers for being part of the smuggling problem.
The article stated: “International efforts to curb the use of HCFC-22 are faltering for dozens of reasons, from loopholes in environmental treaties to the reluctance of manufacturers to step up development of more environmentally friendly machines.”