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[US] Group of bipartisan Senators has introduced legislation targeting non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions.
- #Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) have introduced draft legislation targeting methane and hydro-fluorocarbons, or so-called super pollutants. Emissions of the super pollutants are less prevalent than CO2 but have a larger per-ton warming potential on a short term basis.
The bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation targeting super pollutants that have much greater global warming potential than CO2. Senator Susan Collins, one of the few congressional Republicans recognizing the existence of man-made climate change, said that interagency cooperation and common sense efforts to reduce super pollutants was necessary to help slow climate change.
Some key features of the proposed legislation include:
- Establishing an interagency task force including EPA, and the Departments of Defense, Interior, Energy, Commerce, State, Transportation, and Agriculture; the task force would coordinate and improve federal programs that limit short-lived climate pollutants.
- Requiring the State Department to develop a plan to reduce black carbon emissions from international shipping through the International Maritime Organization; the US is set to take over the leadership of the Arctic Council next year; the Arctic is especially susceptible to black carbon as it settles on snow, absorbs light, melts ice and increases warming and sea levels.
- Requiring EPA and DOE to incorporate GHG limits in the Energy Star certification for refrigeration systems, rather than just energy efficiency;
- Removal of super pollutants such as HFCs from the list of acceptable alternatives to ozone-depleting substances;
- Reduce methane emissions; however, specifics are not yet clear.
The bill is still being finalized and faces a long path through the full Senate and House before becoming law.
Source:
Super Pollutants Act of 2014, Senate Draft, June 26, 2014 (http://www.eenews.net/assets/2014/06/26/document_pm_03.pdf)
Jean Chemnick, Senators float bill aimed at reducing non-CO2 warmers, E&E News PM, June 26, 2014 (http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2014/06/26/stories/1060002042)
Red-on-line EHS Legal Counsel