$140k penalty for refrigerant recovery violations
21st December 2023USA: The US EPA has ordered a Minnesota scrap metal recycler to pay $140,000 in civil penalties for failing to take proper precautions to recover refrigerants from old appliances.
The EPA alleged that Dem-Con Metal Recycling of Shakopee accepted small appliances, such as refrigerators and room air conditioners, that contained ozone-depleting refrigerants without taking proper precautions to recover the chemicals. The EPA maintained that this was in violation of the US Clean Air Act.
Dem-Con is required to develop a refrigerant management plan which will include proper refrigerant recovery processes, or they will need to verify refrigerant recovery from items arriving from outside the facility. They will also need to notify customers on proper refrigerant recovery requirements.
