APRIL 2025 ISSUE

5 Years in Jail for Violating the AIM Act?

A Georgia CEO may have the honor of becoming the first official US AIM Act criminal. Randolph “Randy” Hires, is charged with unlawfully importing 500 cylinders of HFCs from Peru. Even after employees at the company raised concerns with the import, Hires instructed them to “get [the HFCs] on the ship and get it out to sea… don’t care what it takes”. If convicted, Hires could face up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case is a stark reminder that you can go to jail for violating refrigerant regulations.

A Broad Overview of Federal and State Refrigerant Regs

Sign ups for the next live RMS training on May 8th at 1pm MT are open. The session will be limited to 10 people, so register now if interested. The training provides a broad overview and summary of all US Federal and State refrigerant regulations to help you figure out which refrigerant regulations affect your business, know what you are up against, and ensure that your compliance program is air-tight.

DOE Rule for Walk-Ins is Walking Out the Door

A Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to rescind the Department of Energy rule, “Energy Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers and Walk-In Freezers” is all but a done deal. Now that the House and Senate passed the resolution, all that is missing is President Trump’s signature. The CRA would prevent the Department of Energy from finalizing any similar regulation in the future, unless Congress passes a future law allowing the agency to do so.

AHRI and HARDI Challenge NY State Refrigerant Regs

AHRI and HARDI filed a joint lawsuit against the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NY DEC) and the amended 6 NYCRR Part 494, arguing that the law is too aggressive and that it conflicts with the EPA’s AIM Act. AHRI and HARDI ask the courts to invalidate the law, order the NY DEC to halt enforcement of the rule until proper stakeholder input can be given, and bring the law more closely in line with the EPA’s AIM Act.

Don’t Miss Out on Free NASRC Training!

Sign Up today for the free natural refrigerant training summit in Irwindale, CA April 22-24. This summit hosted by the NASRC and Southern California Edison will provide comprehensive training on natural refrigerants from industry experts. Plus, you’ll get the opportunity to attend the training from Keilly Witman: Refrigerant Regulations and Compliance – Watchouts and Pitfalls.

State Refrigerant Regulations You May Be Missing

We all have the “Big 4” state refrigerant regulations top-of-mind, but did you know that 8 other states have refrigerant regulations too? And there are 5 more in the pipeline. If these numbers come as a shock to you, make sure you check out the newly published RMS Fact Sheets for DE and MA. We’re trying our hardest to get the others done, so check the website for updates.

MA Grant Money for Commercial Refrigeration

The Mass DEP’s Commercial Refrigeration Grant Program provides financial incentives for voluntary adoption of ultra-low-global warming potential (<10) refrigerants in commercial refrigeration equipment. Get up to $75,000 for new facilities and up to $200,000 for existing facilities. Applications are approved on a rolling basis, so apply now while there’s still incentives to be had.

New York Registration Forms Are Live

New York DEC issued their electronic Refrigerant Management Program registration and reporting forms for owners or operators of large (1500+ lbs.) air conditioning and refrigeration equipment. The registration and reporting deadline is June 1st. Don’t wait until the last minute, because you may find that you’ll need to survey your equipment to gather all the information needed, especially info on your components!

Miss Out on the EPA Presentation?

Check out the latest EPA presentation on refrigerant regulations from the HVAC Excellence National HVACR Education Conference. Who knows when we’ll hear from the EPA again, so it’s a good opportunity to brush up on what they have to say.  

Don’t Count Your Eggs Yet!

With eggs being worth their weight in gold lately, folks have turned to dyeing “Easter potatoes.” Picture toddlers lugging around 10 lbs. of potatoes in those flimsy wicker baskets. Another benefit of dyed potatoes? They don’t have to be refrigerated. The USDA warns that while fresh eggs can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 weeks, once you boil them that timeline drops to 7 days. Boiling eggs forms a thin layer of water under the shell, which introduces an environment for bacterial growth. Yummy!

Need Some Help?

If you need help with these or any other topics related to refrigerant management, feel free to reach out to me (Keilly Witman). We’re a friendly bunch and happy to help!