Scrap firms accused of emitting refrigerants

SPAIN: The Spanish Civil Guard is investigating more than 68 people and 30 companies in the vehicle scrap industry for allegedly breaching refrigerant recovery legislation.

The companies being investigated in the operation in Madrid, Catalonia and the Basque Country are said to have emitted more than 76 million kg of CO2 into the atmosphere by not properly managing the refrigerants in the air conditioning systems of scrap vehicles.

Monitoring of the the activity of vehicle treatment centres revealed that no R134A had been recovered from the vehicles, a requirement under the European F-gas regulations and Montreal Protocol agreements.

Air conditioned vehicles at the end of their useful life must be properly recovered and managed, according to the legislation. For this, the owner of the vehicle is obliged to deliver his car to an authorised manager and obtain documentation proving that the waste management will be carried out properly. 

The operation has been carried out by agents of the Nature Protection Service of the Civil Guard (Seprona), with the support of Europol.