EPA v. WEST SIDE METALS CORPORATION (SB)

Case summary

U.S. EPA Region 5 entered into a Consent Decree (CD) with West side Metals (Westside) to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA). On July 1, 2008, EPA issued to Westside a Finding of Violation (FOV) pertaining to its scrap metal recycling facility in Cleveland, Ohio. The FOV alleged that Westside accepted for recycling automobiles and small appliances such as refrigerators and room air conditioners that contained or once contained ozone-depleting refrigerants, without either recovering the refrigerant from the vehicles and appliances or verifying that the refrigerant had been properly recovered prior to sale to Westside, in violation of regulations found at 40 CFR 82.156. The CD requires Westside to obtain refrigerant recovery equipment and to properly recover the refrigerant from vehicles and appliances it accepts for scrap recycling at its Cleveland facility. Westside's refrigerant recovery program is estimated to recover at least 120 lbs of ozone-depleting refrigerants per year. Since the refrigerants used in vehicle air conditioning systems and small appliances also are 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 60 SUVs from the road for a year.

Defendants (1)

• WEST SIDE METALS CORPORATIONNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• WEST SIDE METALS CORPORATION

  6400 STOCK AVENUE, CLEVELAND, OH, 44102

  Registry ID: 110037087452

Statutes cited

• CAA 608 — National Recycling & Emission Reduction Program

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• WEST SIDE METALS CORPORATION (SB)entered 2010-08-17

  Primary law: CAA

  Federal penalty: $10,000

Timeline (6 milestones)

• 2008-09-30Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2008-10-01Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2010-06-28Complaint Filed With Court
• 2010-06-28Final Order Lodged
• 2010-08-17Final Order Entered
• 2011-07-25Enforcement Action Closed