Trump rolls back Biden-era refrigerant rules in push to lower grocery costs

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

May 21, 2026, 5:06 p.m. ET


WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on May 21 overhauled two Biden-era Environmental Protection Agency rules for refrigerants in a push the White House claims will lower grocery costs for consumers.

One action, reported first by USA TODAY, delays deadlines for groceries and other companies to phase out the use of climate-damaging hydrofluorocarbons for refrigeration under the 2023 Technology Transitions Rule.

Hydrofluorocarbons, used for refrigeration and cooling, are considered "super pollutants" that, although short-lived in the atmosphere, are more powerful than carbon dioxide.

The move is expected to make more refrigerants ‒ the key chemical compounds in freezers, refrigerators and air-conditioning systems ‒ available for supermarkets, homeowners and other businesses, which the White House estimates will produce $900 million in savings, including $800 million at groceries.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/05/21/trump-grocery-costs-refrigerant-rules-epa-biden/90202305007/

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This will make ZERO difference in grocery prices but will exacerbate the ozone hole, and climate change.

[Buddyzbuddy]

1. You know what would help consumers

Mr. Expert on everything. Not starting senseless wars that interfere with the transportation of OIL! You fool.

[ToxMarz]

2. While this is total bullshit, $900,000,000 is less than he wants us to pay for his ballroom

It's half of what he want us to pay for his Thug Fund. It less than he's costing us everyday for his war. Its a fraction of what his tariffs are costing us.

[lapfog_1]

5. It will save every American that eats food

$2.65 per year! Or $10.58 for a family of four!

Yea Trump! Way to bring down my $160 / week grocery bill!!!

[Scruffy1]

7. It is pure bullshit.

California , New York and other states have stricter rules than the EPA. Besides, when old equipment fails it is usually more cost efficient to replace it than to repair it.

[William Seger]

3. "...push to lower grocery costs!?" Bullshit!

Every #rump regulation rollback benefits someone who paid for it.

[ColoringFool]

4. That's A Bingo! (Plus A Massive Kickback To The Don.)

[lostnfound]

15. "push to increase profits" is much more likely. nt

[BettyBlueDot]

6. Everything he touches

Destroy our air, water and climate to push delusional concept that grocers will ACTUALLY lower prices if their refrigerants cost less? Yeah, and he also has a bridge he wants to sell you.

[Icanthinkformyself]

8. Typical Vulture Capitalist thinking.

Create the illusion of a 'lower or same price' by cutting corners to save money now that will result in spending orders of magnitude as much to repair the environmental and economic damage that occurs. Like 'investing' in our children's health and education. It will cost lots of money now but save boatloads latter. Capitalists don't think beyond the next quarter and we are supposed to trust the 'invisible hand' to do more than just slap us around. It's the very definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Vote for Republicans, get sucky government. Like voting to put insurrectionists into high public office and expecting them to act like they aren't insurrectionists. That's the entire Guardians Of Pedophiles party.
Tax the rich until they are rich no more. Society does not require, need or mandate the existence of billionaires. AOC is correct. You cannot 'earn' a billion dollars. You accumulate it with tax fraud/evasion, investing in organizations that run criminal operations, much of it sex trafficking, drugs and arms dealing and laundries for all the crime tainted money to use for political campaign contributions. We used to call that bribery and graft. Now it's called 'compensating the servants for their fealty.'

[travelingthrulife]

9. Yeah, I'd like to see the math on that.

[SamuelAdams]

10. I guess the parties aren't the same after all.

[DemocracyForever]

11. That was a Nader 2000 lie

BTW, saving on groceries won't matter if we're all dead from breathing polluted air and dirking polluted water caused by Trump's total idiocy and refusal to accept scientific fact. I also doubt that there's really any kind of savings on groceries involved in this as well. It's just another Trump scam designed to further poison our planet and threaten the survival of humanity.

[pecosbob]

12. Add this new threat to the ozone...every satellite that burns up on re-entry adds reactive metals to the atmosphere.

Experts theorize that this will start to destroy the ozone layer in about thirty years. They theorize no ozone by 2050.

[jmowreader]

13. Here's the weirdest thing

In the food industry the kind of refrigerants Trump wants to bring back aren't used. Supermarket display cases have gone to CO2 systems, and food manufacturing plants use ammonia. The manufacturing industry LOVES ammonia because of its extreme thermodynamic performance - meaning that if your freezer's cooling system is charged with ammonia you'll use less electricity to run it.

[eppur_se_muova]

14. Everyone's already retrofitted their equipment to HCFC's; now he wants them to pay to switch back to CFCs ??

Another non-solution from the most deeply ignorant and incompetent maladministration in this country's history.