EPA v. Abbott Labs-N. Chicago Plant

Case summary

Program Contact: Raymond Cullen/R5/USEPA/US Phone: 6-0538 ORC Attorney: Cynthia King/R5/USEPA/US Phone: 6-6831 Status: Final *PLEASE ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING SHORT CASE SUMMARY: U.S. EPA issued an FOV to Abbott on January 15, 2004, citing them for violations of the Stratospheric Ozone Standards at 40 C.F.R. Part 82, Subpart F. Specifically, the alleged violations included Abbott's failure to repair industrial process refrigeration units such that the annual leak rate of each unit is reduced below 35%, failure to repair comfort-cooling refrigeration units such that the annual leak rate of each unit is reduced below 15%, failure to conduct initial verification tests at the conclusion of the repair efforts on the industrial process refrigeration units, failure to conduct follow-up verification tests on the industrial process refrigeration units, failure to develop one-year retrofit/retirement plans for leaking refrigeration units, failure to retrofit/retire leaking refrigeration units within one year, and failure to notify U.S. EPA within 30 days of failed follow-up verification tests. The following refrigeration units are addressed in the FOV: Chiller C2A (B2097), M3B Basement Chiller (KK3674), Vilter West Chiller (B1517), Vilter Chiller (KK6875), FES Chiller (LC918095), York Chiller (LC958598), and #14 Chiller (MRP970626). The York and #14 Chillers are comfort cooling units; the others are industrial process units. During 113 conferences held on March 10 and May 20, 2004, Abbott demonstrated that the M3B Basement Chiller and the #14 Chiller were never in violation. Accordingly, U.S. EPA dropped the citations against these units. U.S. EPA also accepted notations referencing leak checks or leak tests as proof of initial verication tests and dropped the citations for initial verification from those units and dates that made those references. According to the AO, Abbott must retrofit the Vilter West Chiller, the FES Chiller, and the York Chiller to use U.S. EPA approved non-ozone depleting refrigerants. Abbott must also retrofit B1910 and LC919416 in lieu of Chiller C2A and the Vilter Chiller; Abbott retired Chiller C2A from service in December 2002, and it will retire the Vilter Chiller in accordance with the AO.

Defendants (1)

• Abbott Labs-N. Chicago PlantNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (6)

• ABBVIE INC

  1401 SHERIDAN RD, NORTH CHICAGO, IL, 60064

  Registry ID: 110041188773

• ABBVIE INC

  1401 SHERIDAN RD, NORTH CHICAGO, IL, 60064

  Registry ID: 110041188773

• ABBVIE INC

  1401 SHERIDAN RD, NORTH CHICAGO, IL, 60064

  Registry ID: 110041188773

• ABBVIE INC

  1401 SHERIDAN RD, NORTH CHICAGO, IL, 60064

  Registry ID: 110041188773

• ABBVIE INC

  1401 SHERIDAN RD, NORTH CHICAGO, IL, 60064

  Registry ID: 110041188773

• ABBVIE INC

  1401 SHERIDAN RD, NORTH CHICAGO, IL, 60064

  Registry ID: 110041188773

Statutes cited

• CAA 608 — National Recycling & Emission Reduction Program

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• Abbott Labs-N. Chicago Plantentered 2004-08-12

  Primary law: CAA

Timeline (2 milestones)

• 2004-08-12Final Order Issued
• 2004-09-16Enforcement Action Data Entered