EPA v. SOUTHERN RECYCLING, LLC (COE ACO)

Case summary

U.S. EPA Region 5 issued an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) to Southern Recycling, LLC (Southern) to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA alleged that Southern accepted for recycling small appliances, such as refrigerators and room air conditioners, and motor vehicle air conditioners (MVACs) that contained or once contained ozone-depleting refrigerants, without either recovering the refrigerant from the appliances or verifying that the refrigerant had been properly recovered prior to sale to Southern, in violation of regulations found at 40 CFR 82.156. EPA issued a Finding of Violation to Southern on September 15, 2014. The ACO requires Southern to obtain refrigerant recovery equipment and to properly recover the refrigerant from small appliances and MVACs it accepts for scrap at its Nashville, Tennessee; Bowling Green, Kentucky; and Owensboro, Kentucky facilities, or to use verification statements or refrigerant recovery contracts. Southern's refrigerant recovery program is estimated to recover a minimum of 360 lbs of ozone-depleting refrigerants per year. Since the refrigerants used in small appliances and MVACs are also potent global-warming gases, these resolutions will, in addition to protecting the ozone layer, have the added benefit of reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases equivalent to removing approximately 180 SUVs from the road for a year.

Defendants (1)

• SOUTHERN RECYCLING, LLCNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• SA RECYCLING, LLC

  1831 LINDER INDUSTRIAL DR., NASHVILLE, TN, 37209

  Registry ID: 110033180956

Statutes cited

• CAA 608 — National Recycling & Emission Reduction Program

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• SOUTHERN RECYCLING, LLC (COE ACO)entered 2015-07-22

  Primary law: CAA

Timeline (2 milestones)

• 2015-07-22Final Order Issued
• 2015-07-29Enforcement Action Data Entered