EPA Chief Zeldin Defends Looser Refrigerant Rules as Flexibility for Grocery Businesses
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin on Sunday defended a new agency rule that relaxes restrictions on certain greenhouse gases used in commercial refrigeration, framing the change as necessary flexibility for American businesses.
The rule, unveiled Wednesday, allows supermarkets to continue using hydrofluorocarbons — compounds with a warming potential up to 1,400 times greater than carbon dioxide — in their refrigeration systems through 2032.
Hydrofluorocarbons, commonly used in large-scale grocery refrigeration, had been subject to tighter phase-down schedules under previous EPA policy. The revised rule extends the timeline for compliance, giving retailers additional years before they must transition to lower-emission alternatives.
Zeldin, appointed by President Trump to lead the EPA, has broadly pursued regulatory rollbacks across the agency since taking office. The refrigeration rule is one of several recent actions recalibrating emissions standards set during the Biden administration. The White House has separately been focused on international negotiations, with an Iran deal potentially taking shape within days, according to administration officials.