EPA fines Greeley salvage yard for air pollution

GREELEY — Andersen’s Sales and Salvage Inc. in east Greeley must pay a $195,000 fine after alleged violations of the Clean Air Act.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached a settlement in that amount with Andersen’s, at 1490 E. Eighth St., resolving alleged violations of the federal law associated with releases of refrigerants, according to an agency news release. 

The EPA said that Andersen’s Sales and Salvage “failed to verify the proper recovery of all refrigerants from the appliances accepted at its scrapyard.” Releases of these refrigerant compounds deplete the stratospheric ozone layer that protects life from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation, and also contribute to global warming and climate change. 

The company must comply with an administrative order that includes implementation of a refrigerant management plan, among other measures, the EPA said. 

Andersen’s website states that the yard does not accept anything with refrigerant, such as refrigerators, freezers and air conditioning units, without a signed and dated statement from the person or company who removed the refrigerant per EPA guidelines.

Company officials did not return calls for comment.

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