Global Climate and Ozone Layer Protection Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-3448
Sponsor: Rep. Waxman, Henry A. [D-CA-30]
Introduced: 2007-08-03 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Air conditioning
Air pollution control
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Commerce
Emergency Management
Environmental Protection Agency
Excise tax
Fines (Penalties)
Fire prevention
Fluorocarbons
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Health
Import restrictions
International Affairs
International environmental cooperation
Law
Motor vehicle pollution control
Negotiations
Nonprofit organizations
Ozone layer depletion
Preventive medicine
Refrigeration
Skin cancer
Social Welfare
Subsidies
Taxation
Transportation and Public Works
Ultraviolet radiation

Summary:
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: 
Global Climate and Ozone Layer Protection Act of 2007 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should negotiate with the other parties to the Montreal Protocol concerning mitigating global warming impacts and accelerating the phaseout of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) for developed and developing countries.

Amends the Clean Air Act to allow the production and consumption of class II substances that are used as fire suppression agents for military, commercial aviation, industrial, space, or national security applications and that reduce overall risk to human health and the environment compared to alternatives.

Bans the importation of any product manufactured after January 1, 2010, that contains any class II substance that has been phased out of production and consumption for any purpose other than for its transformation or destruction.

Bans the production or importation of class I or class II substances unless the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies that the importer has offset such production or importation. 

Requires the Administrator to promulgate regulations establishing standards and requirements regarding the sale, distribution, use, and safe disposal of substitutes for class I and class II substances.

Makes it unlawful for specified persons to sell or distribute any such substitute that is suitable for use in a motor vehicle air-conditioning system and that is in a container of less than 20 pounds of such substitute.

Establishes the Refrigerant Environmental Management Council as a nonprofit entity to address the emissions of fluorocarbon refrigerants in an economical, efficient, and effective manner and to lead industry in recovery, reclamation, and destruction of such refrigerants. Gives the Council authority to collect a levy on the domestic production of virgin HCFC and Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, the import of all HCFC and HFC refrigerants, and the import of such refrigerants contained in equipment. Authorizes the Council to use the funds generated by the levies to provide incentive payments to entities that document that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), HCFCs, and HFCs have been reclaimed or destroyed.

Authorizes the EPA to carry out the mission and activities of the SunWise Program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality.
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8046)
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR 8/4/2007 E1762-1763)
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-08-03
text: Introduced in House