I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1943 

To establish a task force to review policies and measures to promote, and 

to develop best practices for, reduction of short-lived climate pollutants, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 9, 2013 

Mr. PETERS of California (for himself and Mr. HUFFMAN) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To establish a task force to review policies and measures 

to promote, and to develop best practices for, reduction 

of short-lived climate pollutants, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Super Pollutant Emis5 sions Reduction Act of 2013’’ or the ‘‘SUPER Act of 

6 2013’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

8 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find9 ings: 


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1 (1) Carbon dioxide is estimated to account for 

2 55 to 60 percent of anthropogenic radiative forcing 

3 (or manmade global warming), while the remainder 

4 is driven by non-carbon dioxide climate pollutants, 

5 primarily short-lived climate pollutants. These short6 lived climate pollutants, or ‘‘super pollutants’’, have 

7 shorter atmospheric lifespans than carbon dioxide 

8 but cause much more warming per molecule, and in 

9 many cases the emissions are growing much faster 

10 than carbon dioxide. 

11 (2) Several of the short-lived climate pollutants 

12 are also potent air pollutants that harm human 

13 health and reduce crop yields. Reducing these pollut14 ants can save thousands of lives every year in the 

15 United States and millions globally, while also in16 creasing agricultural production. 

17 (3) International efforts to address short-lived 

18 climate pollutants are underway, including the Cli19 mate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived 

20 Climate Pollutants, led by the Department of State 

21 and the United Nations Environment Programme, 

22 the Global Methane Initiative, and the negotiation of 

23 amendments to the Montreal Protocol on Substances 

24 that Deplete the Ozone Layer. 


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1 (4) Many of the technologies to reduce short2 lived climate pollutants already exist, but adoption 

3 of such technologies has been slow. 

4 (5) The Federal Government has a number of 

5 programs and initiatives some of which aim to, or 

6 the outcomes of which, reduce emissions of short7 lived climate pollutants, but these programs are 

8 scattered across multiple agencies and there is insuf9 ficient coordination to maximize reductions of these 

10 pollutants. In February 2012, the Government Ac11 countability Office published an annual report, ‘‘Op12 portunities to Reduce Duplication, Overlap and 

13 Fragmentation, Achieve Savings, and Enhance Rev14 enue’’, which examined the efficiency and efficacy of 

15 government programs, including those that address 

16 diesel emissions that contain black carbon, a short17 lived climate pollutant. 

18 (6) Executive Order 13514 requires Federal 

19 agencies to develop plans for reducing hydrofluoro20 carbons and methane, but few agencies have focused 

21 on these compounds in their annual Strategic Sus22 tainability Performance Plans. 

23 (7) Because of their short atmospheric life24 times, reducing global emissions of short-lived cli25 mate pollutants can quickly cut the rate of global 


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1 temperature rise in half, by 2050, and help stabilize 

2 global temperatures below 2 °C above pre-industrial 

3 temperatures by 2100, when combined with reduc4 tions of global emissions of carbon dioxide. Cutting 

5 short-lived climate pollutants along with carbon diox6 ide can also reduce the rate of projected global sea7 level rise by half and total sea-level rise by a third. 

8 Steps to reduce short-lived climate pollutants are 

9 likely to have air quality and public health benefits 

10 as well. 

11 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to— 

12 (1) coordinate and optimize the Federal Gov13 ernment’s existing efforts to address short-lived cli14 mate pollutants; 

15 (2) reduce overlap and duplication of such ef16 forts; and 

17 (3) encourage Federal operations, programs, 

18 policies, and initiatives to reduce short-lived climate 

19 pollutants by— 

20 (A) ensuring that the coordinated Federal 

21 programs are effective and forward-looking in 

22 their efforts to control short-lived climate pol23 lutants; 

24 (B) ensuring coordination of such Federal 

25 operations, programs, policies, and initiatives 


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1 with State, local, regional, tribal, and industry 

2 efforts; and 

3 (C) supporting such State, local, regional, 

4 tribal, and industry efforts. 

5 SEC. 3. TASK FORCE ON SUPER POLLUTANTS. 

6 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 

7 the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall 

8 establish the ‘‘Task Force on Super Pollutants’’ (referred 

9 to in this section as the ‘‘Task Force’’). 

10 (b) DUTIES.—The Task Force shall— 

11 (1) review existing and potential policies and 

12 measures that promote reduction of short-lived cli13 mate pollutants, in part by identifying and evalu14 ating programs and activities of the Federal govern15 ment that contribute, or could contribute, to such 

16 reduction; 

17 (2) identify and recommend specific existing 

18 Federal programs and activities evaluated under 

19 paragraph (1) that are unnecessarily duplicative and 

20 can be consolidated to achieve greater efficiency and 

21 effectiveness; 

22 (3) identify gaps where programs do not exist, 

23 and recommend focused programs and activities to 

24 fill these gaps to achieve reductions of short-lived cli25 mate pollutants, with an emphasis on industry 


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1 standards and public-private partnerships where pos2 sible; 

3 (4) identify, compile, evaluate, and develop best 

4 practices for reductions of short-lived climate pollut5 ants, including by— 

6 (A) identifying and evaluating both domes7 tic and international best practices and stand8 ards practiced and set by governments, industry 

9 in each sector listed in subsection (c)(5), stand10 ards bodies, and other relevant institutions; and 

11 (B) identifying and evaluating cost-effec12 tive mitigation projects, strategies, and policies 

13 at the State, local, and tribal level, with the 

14 greatest potential for reduction of short-lived 

15 climate pollutants; and 

16 (5) not later than 18 months after the date of 

17 enactment of this Act, submit to Congress a report 

18 on the findings and recommendations developed 

19 under paragraphs (1) through (4). 

20 (c) MEMBERS.—The task force established under 

21 subsection (a) shall include representatives of— 

22 (1) all relevant Federal agencies, including— 

23 (A) the Secretary of Energy; 

24 (B) the Administrator of the Environ25 mental Protection Agency; 


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1 (C) the Secretary of the Interior; 

2 (D) the Secretary of Transportation; 

3 (E) the Secretary of Agriculture; 

4 (F) the Secretary of State; 

5 (G) the Secretary of Commerce; and 

6 (H) the Secretary of Health and Human 

7 Services; 

8 (2) relevant offices and councils within the Ex9 ecutive Office of the President, including— 

10 (A) the Office of Management and Budget; 

11 (B) the Office of Science and Technology 

12 Policy; and 

13 (C) the Council on Environmental Quality; 

14 (3) State, local, and tribal governments or asso15 ciations; 

16 (4) academic and non-governmental organiza17 tions with expertise in short-lived climate pollutants; 

18 and 

19 (5) relevant industry organizations, rep20 resenting at least the following sectors: 

21 (A) Energy supply and transmission, in22 cluding fossil fuels. 

23 (B) Solid waste. 

24 (C) Transportation. 


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1 (D) Chemical manufacturing and user in2 dustries. 

3 (E) Agriculture. 

4 (F) Wastewater. 

5 (G) Buildings. 

6 (H) Other sectors as determined appro7 priate by the President. 

8 (d) DEFINITION.—In this Act, the term ‘‘short-lived 

9 climate pollutant’’ means any of the following: 

10 (1) Black carbon. 

11 (2) Methane. 

12 (3) Hydrofluorocarbons. 

13 (4) Tropospheric ozone and its precursors. 

14 (5) Emissions from banks of ozone-depleting 

15 substances. 

Æ 


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