EPA estimates the illegally imported R-22 from China was worth $1.5 million
In July, 69-year-old Jorge Murrillo pled guilty in federal district court in Miami to conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA) by importing over 300,000 kilograms of illegal R-22, worth over $1.5 million, into the United States from China. R-22 is a widely used refrigerant for residential heat pump and air conditioning systems.
The CAA regulates air pollutants, including ozone-depleting substances such as R-22. The CAA and its implemented regulations established a schedule to phase out the production and importation of ozone-depleting substances, with a complete ban starting in 2030. To meet its obligations under an international treaty to reduce its consumption of ozone depleting substances, the United States issued baseline consumption allowances for the production and importation of R-22 to individuals and companies. To legally import R-22, one must hold an unexpended consumption allowance.