EPA v. Costco (NC)

Case summary

On November 5, 2014, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California entered a consent decree to resolve claims against Costco Wholesale Corporation, the nation's second largest retailer, under the stratospheric ozone protection requirements of Section 608 of the Clean Air Act. Pursuant to the national settlement, Costco must implement a refrigerant compliance management system to prevent future violations of ozone protection requirements, reduce its corporate-wide average leak rate by approximately 21%, retrofit or replace commercial refrigeration equipment at 30 warehouses to use non-ozone depleting substances with a global warming potential of no more than 1,825, and, at all new warehouses, Costco must install secondary loop systems, which use considerably less refrigerant, and implement centrally monitored leak detection systems. The settlement, covering 278 warehouses nationwide in every EPA Region, will reduce emissions of the refrigerant, R-22, by approximately 128,000 pounds, which, as a potent GHG, has the CO2 equivalent of 105,000 metric tons, itself equivalent to the annual GHG emissions from 22,075 passenger vehicles. The consent decree, which is the second national settlement led by Region 9, also requires Costco to pay a civil penalty of $335,000.

Defendants (1)

• CostcoNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (37)

• COSTCO WHOLESALE 106

  1175 N 205TH ST, SEATTLE, WA, 98133-3206

  Registry ID: 110000829989

• COSTCO WHOLESALE 761

  2051 S COLE RD, BOISE, ID, 83709

  Registry ID: 110013358561

• COSTCO WHOLESALE 112

  375 HIGHLINE DR S, EAST WENATCHEE, WA, 98802-5344

  Registry ID: 110000827268

• COSTCO WHOLESALE 17

  2828 CHAD DR, EUGENE, OR, 97408-7337

  Registry ID: 110000817215

• COSTCO WHOLESALE 486

  8505 W GAGE BLVD, KENNEWICK, WA, 99336

  Registry ID: 110005395456

• COSTCO WHOLESALE 19

  4299 GUIDE MERIDIAN RD, BELLINGHAM, WA, 98226

  Registry ID: 110000898100

• COSTCO WHOLESALE #63

  4125 DEBARR RD, ANCHORAGE, AK, 99508

  Registry ID: 110003044624

• COSTCO WHOLESALE 64

  5500 LITTLE ROCK RD SW, TUMWATER, WA, 98512-7363

  Registry ID: 110000830012

• COSTCO

  1010 HAWTHORNE AVE SE, SALEM, OR, 97301-5090

  Registry ID: 110000817206

• COSTCO 767

  3900 20TH ST E, FIFE, WA, 98424

  Registry ID: 110061103416

• COSTCO WHOLESALE 61

  35100 ENCHANTED PKWY S, FEDERAL WAY, WA, 98003

  Registry ID: 110000829961

• COSTCO WHOLESALE 747

  24008 SNOHOMISH WOODINVILLE RD, WOODINVILLE, WA, 98072

  Registry ID: 110031300606

• COSTCO WHOLESALE #107

  5225 COMMERCIAL BLVD, JUNEAU, AK, 99801

  Registry ID: 110003037286

• COSTCO WHOLESALE 95

  2219 S 37TH ST, TACOMA, WA, 98409

  Registry ID: 110005397935

• COSTCO WHOLESALE 773

  355 E NEIDER AVE, COEUR D'ALENE, ID, 83815-3723

  Registry ID: 110016737584

• …and 22 more

Statutes cited

• CAA 608 — National Recycling & Emission Reduction Program

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• Costco (NC)entered 2014-11-05

  Primary law: CAA

  Federal penalty: $44,586

Timeline (6 milestones)

• 2011-09-26Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2011-09-28Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2014-09-03Final Order Lodged
• 2014-09-03Complaint Filed With Court
• 2014-11-05Final Order Entered
• 2014-11-05Concluded