United States Seafoods of Seattle, Washington, must pay USD 135,000 (EUR 115,055) and upgrade equipment to make amends for Clean Air Act violations.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency said United States Seafoods violated the Clean Air Act by releasing ozone-depleting substances from two of its fish processing ships in Alaska.
In 2012, EPA investigators discovered that the freezers on two vessels owned by United States Seafoods – the F/V Seafreeze Alaska and the F/V Alliance – were leaking R-22, an ozone-depleting refrigerant.
“EPA found that the vessel owners and operators failed to repair the leaks in a timely manner and failed to confirm that the freezers were not leaking when finally repaired,” the agency said in a statement.
In addition to the fine, United States Seafoods will replace “some or all of its current R‑22 freezers with units that use ammonia, and retire those not replaced,” according to the EPA. The company will also implement enhanced leak detection and repair practices.
