Trader Joe’s Violated The Clean Air Act And Now They’re Paying Big Time

Trader Joe’s just settled an expensive settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency.  The company was accused of violating the Clean Air Act. In a statement, the EPA alleged that Trader Joe’s lacked sufficient service and compliance records, failed to repair leaky refrigerators. Because of this, stores were emitting R-22 into the air.

This gas has “1,800 times more global warming potential than carbon dioxide.”

The settlement comes with a $500,000 civil penalty. Under the settlement the company will also have to reduce coolant leaks from refrigerators and other equipment and it won’t be cheap.

In addition to the hefty civil penalty, the company will be spending an estimated $2 million over the next three years.

Trader Joe’s will have to reduce emissions of potent greenhouse gases from refrigeration equipment at 453 of its stores.

As part of the agreement, the company will keep its leak rate average at 12.1 percent through 2019 well below the national average of 25 percent. It will also have to use non-ozone depleting refrigerators at all new stores or remodels. The EPA says the expected green house emission reduction from the settlement is expected to be equal to about the emissions from “6,500 passenger vehicles driven in one year.”

This settlement follows refrigerant cases against both Safeway Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp.