EPA v. MIDWEST IRON & METAL, INC.

Case summary

U.S. EPA Region 5 issued an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) to Midwest Iron & Metal to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA). On February 25, 2009, EPA issued to Midwest Iron & Metal a Finding of Violation (FOV) pertaining to its scrap metal recycling facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The FOV alleged that Midwest Iron & Metal accepted for recycling small appliances such as refrigerators and room air conditioners 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 Midwest Iron & Metal, in violation of regulations found at 40 CFR 82.156. The ACO requires Midwest Iron & Metal to obtain refrigerant recovery equipment and to properly recover the refrigerant from appliances it accepts for scrap recycling at its Milwaukee facility. Midwest Iron & Metal's refrigerant recovery program is estimated to recover approximately 120 lbs of ozone-depleting refrigerants per year. Since the refrigerants used in 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)

• Midwest Iron & Metal, Inc.Named in settlement

Facilities (2)

• MIDWEST IRON & METAL, INC.

  6760 NORTH INDUSTRIAL ROAD, MILWAUKEE, WI, 53223

  Registry ID: 110037230966

• MIDWEST IRON & METAL, INC.

  6760 NORTH INDUSTRIAL ROAD, MILWAUKEE, WI, 53223

  Registry ID: 110037230966

Statutes cited

• CAA 608 — National Recycling & Emission Reduction Program

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• MIDWEST IRON & METAL, INC.entered 2009-09-22

  Primary law: CAA

Timeline (2 milestones)

• 2009-09-22Final Order Issued
• 2009-09-30Enforcement Action Data Entered