EPA v. Columbus Auto Shredding, Inc

Case summary

U.S. EPA Region 5 issued an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) to Columbus Auto Shredding, Inc. to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA alleged that Columbus Auto Shredding 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 and/or MVACs or verifying that the refrigerant had been properly recovered prior to sale to Columbus Auto Shredding, in violation of regulations found at 40 CFR 82.156. The ACO requires Columbus Auto Shredding to obtain refrigerant recovery equipment and to properly recover the refrigerant from appliances and/or MVACs it accepts for scrap recycling at its Columbus, Ohio facility. Columbus Auto Shredding's refrigerant recovery program is estimated to recover a minimum of 300 lbs of ozone-depleting refrigerants per year. Since the refrigerants used in small appliances and MVACs 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 150 SUVs from the road for a year

Defendants (1)

• Columbus Auto Shredding, IncNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• COLUMBUS AUTO SHREDDING INC

  2181 ALUM CREEK DR, COLUMBUS, OH, 43207

  Registry ID: 110037614613

Statutes cited

• CAA 608 — National Recycling & Emission Reduction Program

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• Columbus Auto Shredding, Incentered 2011-08-09

  Primary law: CAA

Timeline (2 milestones)

• 2011-08-09Final Order Issued
• 2011-08-26Enforcement Action Data Entered