I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 508 

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 

JANUARY 22, 2015 

Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. NORTON, Mr. HONDA, Mr. 

CARTWRIGHT, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. POCAN, Mr. ELLISON, and Mr. CROWLEY) 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 2015’’ or the ‘‘SUPER Act of 

6 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find3 ings: 

4 (1) Carbon dioxide is estimated to account for 

5 55 to 60 percent of anthropogenic radiative forcing 

6 (or manmade global warming), while the remainder 

7 is driven by non-carbon dioxide climate pollutants, 

8 primarily short-lived climate pollutants. These short9 lived climate pollutants, or ‘‘super pollutants’’, have 

10 shorter atmospheric lifespans than carbon dioxide 

11 but cause much more warming per molecule, and in 

12 many cases the emissions are growing much faster 

13 than carbon dioxide. 

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

15 are also potent air pollutants that harm human 

16 health and reduce crop yields. Reducing these pollut17 ants can save thousands of lives every year in the 

18 United States and millions globally, while also in19 creasing agricultural production. 

20 (3) International efforts to address short-lived 

21 climate pollutants are underway, including the Cli22 mate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived 

23 Climate Pollutants, led by the Department of State 

24 and the United Nations Environment Programme, 

25 the Global Methane Initiative, and the negotiation of 


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1 amendments to the Montreal Protocol on Substances 

2 that Deplete the Ozone Layer. 

3 (4) Many of the technologies to reduce short4 lived climate pollutants already exist, but adoption 

5 of such technologies has been slow. 

6 (5) The Federal Government has a number of 

7 programs and initiatives some of which aim to, or 

8 the outcomes of which, reduce emissions of short9 lived climate pollutants, but these programs are 

10 scattered across multiple agencies and there is insuf11 ficient coordination to maximize reductions of these 

12 pollutants. In February 2012, the Government Ac13 countability Office published an annual report, ‘‘Op14 portunities to Reduce Duplication, Overlap and 

15 Fragmentation, Achieve Savings, and Enhance Rev16 enue’’, which examined the efficiency and efficacy of 

17 government programs, including those that address 

18 diesel emissions that contain black carbon, a short19 lived climate pollutant. 

20 (6) Executive Order 13514 requires Federal 

21 agencies to develop plans for reducing hydrofluoro22 carbons and methane, but few agencies have focused 

23 on these compounds in their annual Strategic Sus24 tainability Performance Plans. 


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1 (7) Because of their short atmospheric life2 times, reducing global emissions of short-lived cli3 mate pollutants can quickly cut the rate of global 

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

5 global temperatures below 2 °C above pre-industrial 

6 temperatures by 2100, when combined with reduc7 tions of global emissions of carbon dioxide. Cutting 

8 short-lived climate pollutants along with carbon diox9 ide can also reduce the rate of projected global sea10 level rise by half and total sea-level rise by a third. 

11 Steps to reduce short-lived climate pollutants are 

12 likely to have air quality and public health benefits 

13 as well. 

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

15 (1) coordinate and optimize the Federal Gov16 ernment’s existing efforts to address short-lived cli17 mate pollutants; 

18 (2) reduce overlap and duplication of such ef19 forts; and 

20 (3) encourage Federal operations, programs, 

21 policies, and initiatives to reduce short-lived climate 

22 pollutants by— 

23 (A) ensuring that the coordinated Federal 

24 programs are effective and forward-looking in 


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1 their efforts to control short-lived climate pol2 lutants; 

3 (B) ensuring coordination of such Federal 

4 operations, programs, policies, and initiatives 

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

6 efforts; and 

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

8 tribal, and industry efforts. 

9 SEC. 3. TASK FORCE ON SUPER POLLUTANTS. 

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

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

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

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

14 (b) DUTIES.—The Task Force shall— 

15 (1) review existing and potential policies and 

16 measures that promote reduction of short-lived cli17 mate pollutants, in part by identifying and evalu18 ating programs and activities of the Federal govern19 ment that contribute, or could contribute, to such 

20 reduction; 

21 (2) identify and recommend specific existing 

22 Federal programs and activities evaluated under 

23 paragraph (1) that are unnecessarily duplicative and 

24 can be consolidated to achieve greater efficiency and 

25 effectiveness; 


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

2 and recommend focused programs and activities to 

3 fill these gaps to achieve reductions of short-lived cli4 mate pollutants, with an emphasis on industry 

5 standards and public-private partnerships where pos6 sible; 

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

8 practices for reductions of short-lived climate pollut9 ants, including by— 

10 (A) identifying and evaluating both domes11 tic and international best practices and stand12 ards practiced and set by governments, industry 

13 in each sector listed in subsection (c)(5), stand14 ards bodies, and other relevant institutions; and 

15 (B) identifying and evaluating cost-effec16 tive mitigation projects, strategies, and policies 

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

18 greatest potential for reduction of short-lived 

19 climate pollutants; and 

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

21 enactment of this Act, submit to Congress a report 

22 on the findings and recommendations developed 

23 under paragraphs (1) through (4). 

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

25 subsection (a) shall include representatives of— 


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1 (1) all relevant Federal agencies, including— 

2 (A) the Secretary of Energy; 

3 (B) the Administrator of the Environ4 mental Protection Agency; 

5 (C) the Secretary of the Interior; 

6 (D) the Secretary of Transportation; 

7 (E) the Secretary of Agriculture; 

8 (F) the Secretary of State; 

9 (G) the Secretary of Commerce; and 

10 (H) the Secretary of Health and Human 

11 Services; 

12 (2) relevant offices and councils within the Ex13 ecutive Office of the President, including— 

14 (A) the Office of Management and Budget; 

15 (B) the Office of Science and Technology 

16 Policy; and 

17 (C) the Council on Environmental Quality; 

18 (3) State, local, and tribal governments or asso19 ciations; 

20 (4) academic and non-governmental organiza21 tions with expertise in short-lived climate pollutants; 

22 and 

23 (5) relevant industry organizations, rep24 resenting at least the following sectors: 


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1 (A) Energy supply and transmission, in2 cluding fossil fuels. 

3 (B) Solid waste. 

4 (C) Transportation. 

5 (D) Chemical manufacturing and user in6 dustries. 

7 (E) Agriculture. 

8 (F) Wastewater. 

9 (G) Buildings. 

10 (H) Other sectors as determined appro11 priate by the President. 

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

13 climate pollutant’’ means any of the following: 

14 (1) Black carbon. 

15 (2) Methane. 

16 (3) Hydrofluorocarbons. 

17 (4) Tropospheric ozone and its precursors. 

18 (5) Emissions from banks of ozone-depleting 

19 substances. 

Æ 


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