Ken Calvert: “Last year, the EPA issued a final rule to disqualify many refrigerants and other chemicals. The rule contained…”

“Last year, the EPA issued a final rule to disqualify many refrigerants and other chemicals. The rule contained aggressive deadlines for the phase-out of many chemicals. Some of those deadlines applied within 6 months. Historical experience with the Montreal Protocol indicated that manufacturers needed 6-plus years to successfully transition between new materials. It is nice if the Fortune 100 companies, as the gentleman mentioned, are able to quickly transfer their technologies, but a lot of Main Street people can't. They just simply go broke. Clearly, the EPA chose winners and losers, and for the losers, the timelines are absolutely unworkable. Manufacturers need time to implement engineering and technology changes and to address new risk and safety challenges. No sooner did the EPA finalize its regulation last year to disqualify certain products than the EPA initiated version 2.0--that the rulemaking is now in the works. This is truly an out-of-control process that is driven by the White House's agenda. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.”