A San Diego man has been arrested on suspicion of smuggling potent greenhouse gases into the United States from Mexico, becoming the first in the nation to be charged with smuggling the environmentally harmful gases that are commonly used as refrigerants, according to federal prosecutors.
Michael Hart, 58, is accused of hiding the hydrofluorocarbons, also known as HFCs, in his vehicle to transport them across the border from Mexico, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of California. Hydrofluorocarbons are considered a major driver of global warming and have been targeted in climate legislation and treaties worldwide. In 2022, the refrigerants became illegal to import in the U.S. without allowances from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Hart, who was arrested Monday, pleaded not guilty in the case, according to prosecutors. Hart’s attorney, Sebastian L. Swain-Gil with the Federal Defenders of San Diego, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“This is the first time the Department of Justice is prosecuting someone for illegally importing greenhouse gases, and it will not be the last,” Tara McGrath, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California, said in a statement. “We are using every means possible to protect our planet from the harm caused by toxic pollutants, including bringing criminal charges.”
