EPA v. Ocean Gold Seafoods Inc and Ocean Cold LLC

Case summary

On April 25, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice entered a consent decree in settlement of Clean Air Act (CAA) and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know (EPCRA) claims against Ocean Gold Seafoods, Inc. and Ocean Cold, LLC, two affiliated seafood processing companies, imposing civil penalties and injunctive relief for violations of CAA Title VI and EPCRA 312 and 313 at Defendants facilities in Westport, Washington. Defendants use R-22, an ozone depleting substance that is also subject to the requirements of EPCRA, as a refrigerant in their seafood processing operations. Defendants failed to repair leaks of R-22 in a timely manner, to maintain records of service, and to provide timely EPCRA reports regarding their storage and releases of R-22. The consent decree requires Defendants to pay a civil penalty of $495,000, to commit to a refrigerant release reduction program, implement an improved refrigerant compliance management plan, to train employees at least annually in their refrigerant-related work requirements, and to provide periodic records to EPA. Defendants also agreed to engage a third-party verifier to perform an inspection of the facilities to observe Defendants leak detection and recordkeeping practices, as well as to determine whether the Defendants actions conform to the Consent Decree and management plan requirements.

Defendants (2)

• Ocean Gold Seafoods Inc.Named in complaintNamed in settlement
• Ocean Cold LLCNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (2)

• OCEAN GOLD SEAFOODS INC - SEAFOOD PROCESSING FACILITY

  1804 NORTH NYHUS STREET, WESTPORT, WA, 98595

  Registry ID: 110002150822

• OCEAN COLD LLC

  1804 NORTH NYHUS STREET, WESTPORT, WA, 98595

  Registry ID: 110002150822

Statutes cited

• EPCRA 313 — Toxic Chemical Release Reporting (TRI)
• EPCRA 312 — Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Forms
• CAA 608 — National Recycling & Emission Reduction Program

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• Ocean Gold Seafoods Inc and Ocean Cold LLCentered 2016-04-25

  Primary law: CAA

  Federal penalty: $495,000

Timeline (9 milestones)

• 2012-09-20Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2012-09-21Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2016-03-07Complaint Filed With Court
• 2016-03-07Final Order Lodged
• 2016-04-25Concluded
• 2016-04-25Final Order Entered
• 2023-12-18Demand for Stipulated Penalties
• 2025-02-26Air Resolved
• 2025-02-26Enforcement Action Closed