On December 20, 2022, EPA issued an FOV to MetroMetals Northwest, Inc. MetroMetals Northwest, Inc. failed to verify, using a signed statement or contract, that all refrigerant that had not leaked previously had been recovered from the appliance or shipment of appliance, in violation of the regulations for the Protection of Stratospheric Ozone at 40 C.F.R. Part 82, Subpart F. A CAFO will be filed concurrently with this ACO.
This Administrative Consent Order (ACO) for MetroMetals Northwest, Inc. requires MetroMetals Northwest, Inc. to comply with the following at its six scrapyard facilities (Englewood, Colorado; Denver, Colorado; Brighton, Colorado; Tacoma, Washington; Vancouver, Washington; and Portland, Oregon) to address the violations set forth in the FOV:
1. MMNW must only accept small appliances, MVACs, or MVAC-like appliances provided MMNW either uses appropriate refrigerant recovery equipment to recover any remaining refrigerant from items with intact refrigerant lines in accordance with 40 C.F.R. ? 82.155(a) or certifies that the refrigerant was properly recovered prior to delivery to MMNW;
2. MMNW must have refrigerant recovered by only a properly trained individual. MMNW must ensure that any employee or contractor recovering refrigerant use, and is properly trained to use, appropriate refrigerant recovery equipment;
3. MMNW must keep a copy of all signed verification statements or contracts obtained as a requirement of 40 C.F.R. ? 82.155(b)(2) for three years;