After more than 32 years, Drusilla Hufford, the director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Stratospheric Protection Division, has retired from the agency effective January 31. Hufford joined the EPA in 1984 and worked in several other offices before joining the Stratospheric Protection Division in 1992.
During her time in the Stratospheric Protection Division, Hufford led the development of policies, regulatory frameworks, and partnership programs to protect human health, the ozone layer, and the Earth’s climate. She oversaw the establishment of the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program, which EPA says has helped achieve significant reductions of greenhouse gases by listing more than 400 safer alternatives for use in major industrial and consumer sectors.
Hufford also helped guide U.S. efforts to implement the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. She oversaw the virtual phaseout of class I ozone depleting substances, including chlorofluorocarbons, halon, carbon tetrachloride and others, as well as the acceleration of the global phaseout of hydrochlorofluorocarbons, including R-22, under the Montreal Protocol. These programs and activities helped pave the way for the adoption in October 2016 of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to globally phase down hydrofluorocarbons.
The Stratospheric Protection Division encourages responsible refrigerant management both through regulations and in partnership programs such as GreenChill and the Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) program, which work with supermarkets and groceries, appliance retailers, equipment manufacturers, states, and utilities. According to the EPA, GreenChill participants include nearly a one-third of U.S. supermarkets.
“Throughout her career, Hufford demonstrated a solid commitment to advancing the EPA’s mission to protect public health and the environment for millions of Americans and for future generations,” the EPA said in a prepared statement.
Cindy Newberg is currently acting division director for the Stratospheric Protection Division following Hufford’s retirement. Newberg was the chief of the Alternatives & Emissions Reduction Branch in the Stratospheric Protection Division.
Publication date: 3/1/2017
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