No Sell-Through for Step 1 Products

HPBA has received official word from the U.S. EPA that they will NOT be providing a sell-through period for Step 1 appliances. Thank you to everyone who helped us with our advocacy efforts on this issue. EPA made it clear that it was not for lack of effort on our part, just that EPA was delayed during other parts of the process by other agency priorities. Is there still a donation option? No. We asked EPA if they might still allow dealers to donate Step 1 products to non-profits HPBA has been working with to replace older products with EPA-certified units. EPA has told us this would not be possible due to the need to publish a rule change to distinguish between prohibited sales and donations. There is not enough time for EPA to do even this, and the rule change would face opposition that would kill the effort. What can dealers do now with any remaining Step 1 products? With no sell-through or a donation option, any Step 1 products remaining can only be recycled or destroyed. They cannot even be given away as the EPA prohibits the transfer of ownership of a Step 1 product after May 15, 2020. This is extremely disappointing news, especially in light of the second wave of COVID-19 cases impacting families and small businesses. We urge you to share this with your dealer network. More information and updates can be found on our website, here: https://www.hpba.org/Advocacy/EPAs-NSPS If you have any additional questions not covered by our website, please contact Rachel Feinstein.