Klicker: HB 1050 Would Put Additional Costs On Farm, Food Processing Industries

There are a host of bills the Washington Ag community is watching very closely during this virtual legislative session. One is House Bill 1050, which would require the reduction, and eventual elimination of hydrochlorofluorocarbon refrigerant. Representative Mark Klicker of Walla Walla said the legislation would require the removal of refrigerants currently deemed safe and the replacement of units and components into the future. He added not only will this tack on additional costs for many in the Ag community, supporters of the legislation have yet to proposed a new type of refrigerant that will be permitted.

“And I think that’s a question there.  Do they have that new refrigerant?  So what that’s going to do is directly affect manufacturing, food processing, cold storage freezers anything that has something to do with the old type of product converting into a new refrigerant.”

Klicker added HB 1050 is another example of how those in the environmental camp don’t consider farmers when crafting legislation.

“They don’t understand the slim and the narrow and small profit margins if any that agriculture is making and anymore there really isn’t much of a profit margin.”

Click Here to learn more about House Bill 1050.

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