Industry groups have asked a federal appeals court to speed up its review of a rule relaxing Biden-era restrictions on heat-trapping gases.
Their request, filed Tuesday in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, would put the case on track for arguments by December and a ruling as early as next year.
In June, the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute and the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy sued over EPA’s decision to ease limitations on the use of hydrofluorocarbons for refrigeration in the grocery industry. EPA’s rule, finalized in May, delays compliance deadlines for the rollback of HFC-based equipment, allowing equipment with higher global-warming potential to be used longer.
The industry groups have argued that the Trump administration’s delay imposes “nonrecoverable” costs on manufacturers who had invested heavily to bring their businesses into compliance with the Biden rule’s requirements. They also stated that absent a court order to expedite their case, their argument that the Trump delay violates a statutory provision by implementing a 60-day effective date may become moot before judges address their claims.
