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Smuggled HFCs Across Border Result in Arrest

An HVAC Minute Video Update: April 1, 2024

On March 4, 2024, HFCs joined the list of things that have been smuggled across the border. And 58-year-old Michael Hart, the smuggler, became the first person to be arrested for illegally importing greenhouse gases. After successfully smuggling the HFCs (that were hidden underneath a tarp and tools), Hart proceeded to then sell them on Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. Online, banned refrigerant can be sold for hundreds of dollars. HFC importation without EPA authorization has been banned since 2020, and environmental regulators and investigators have warned of something like this happening – an illicit global trade in phased-out HFCs. Especially since in 2019 and 2020, European Union authorities seized over 250 metric tons of illicit HFCs. What Hart has done is a felony offense. Though this is the first time the Department of Justice is prosecuting someone for illegally importing greenhouse gases, they said it won’t be the last.

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Hannah Belloli is editor-in-chief of Plumbing & Mechanical and Supply House Times. She brings six years of experience as a trade journalist with BNP Media, including four years as an editor at The ACHR NEWS and two years with Walls & Ceilings. Hannah holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Wayne State University, where she also earned minors in English, journalism, and creative writing. As the daughter of a carpenter, she has long held an appreciation for the skilled trades and the professionals who drive the industry forward.