U.S. Court of Appeals Upholds Earlier Decision On HFC Rule

The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has denied a petition to rehear its earlier decision to “vacate,” or strike down a 2015 EPA rule that would have banned the use of certain hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are commonly used in a number of commercial foodservice equipment categories.

The January 26 decision reaffirmed that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not have authority to regulate HFCs, since they are non-ozone depleting substances. However, given the ongoing pressure to remove HFCs from the supply chain, NAFEM has encouraged manufacturers to continue to explore alternative refrigerant options.