On April 7, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia Circuit vacated the Protection of
Stratospheric Ozone: Notification of Guidance and a Stakeholder
Meeting Concerning the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP)
Program, 83 Fed. Reg. 18,431, 18,432 (Apr. 27, 2018) (the
"2018 Rule"), which had allowed the interim use of
hydrofluorocarbons ("HFCs")—which are greenhouse
gases ("GHGs")—by all manufacturers as a substitute
for ozone-depleting substances in a variety of products.
Natural Res. Def. Council v. Wheeler, 955 F.3d 68 (D.C.
Cir. 2020).
The history of relevant rulemaking here dates back to 1994, when
the United States Environmental Protection Agency
("EPA"), concerned with depletion of the ozone layer,
determined that certain HFCs were safe substitutes for
ozone-depleting substances in a variety of products, including
aerosols, motor vehicle air conditioners, and commercial
refrigerators. By 2015, however, EPA was concerned with