美國環保署和司法部3日達成正式協議，全美第二大零售商Costco因違反聯邦清淨空氣法（Clean Air Act），必須支付$335,000罰金，並在接下來的3年間花約2百萬美元改善全美一半以上分店（274間）的製冷劑管理系統，減少製冷設備所排放的臭氧破壞氣體和溫室氣體化學物質。
Costco冷櫃不合格 冷媒外洩將加速暖化
R-22冷媒是一種強力溫室氣體，其全球暖化效應是二氧化碳的1700倍。
根據協議，Costco必須改善30間分店的商用製冷設備，並導入製冷劑管理系統，預防和修復製冷劑滲漏，讓全公司平均滲漏率減少20%。2011年的滲漏率為24%，2017年前必須減少到19%以下。
清淨空氣法第六章規定，商業製冷設備所有者和營運者，若製冷設備有超過50磅臭氧破壞製冷劑且每年滲漏率超過35%者，必須在30天內修復滲漏。
Costco還必須在3年內於所有分店安裝使用環境友善的乙二醇二迴路冷卻系統，以及中央管理的製冷劑滲漏偵測系統。協議規範措施預計能讓Costco減少105,000磅的臭氧破壞製冷劑滲漏，而Costco減少的溫室氣體排放量，約等同於每年30000噸二氧化碳。
保護臭氧層 企業應停用有害物質
「企業必須率先停止使用有害化學物質，以環境友善的替代方案保護我們的健康和氣候。」司法部環境和自然資源分部副總檢察長Sam Hirsch說。
「減少有害溫室氣體排放是環保署的全國性首要任務，此協議將顯著減少殺傷力比二氧化碳還強1700倍的臭氧消耗氣體。」環保署執法與遵循辦公室助理署長Cynthia Giles說，「解決製冷劑外洩問題、改善法規遵循狀況和減少排放，能有效保護我們免於臭氧耗竭的危險，同時減少對氣候的衝擊。」
Costco Wholesale Corporation, the nation’s second largest retailer, has agreed to cut emissions of ozone-depleting and greenhouse gas chemicals from refrigeration equipment at more than half of its stores nationwide.
In the settlement announced today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice, Costco will pay $335,000 in penalties for federal Clean Air Act violations and improve refrigerant management at 274 stores at an estimated cost of $2 million over the next three years.
Shoppers explore a Costco refrigerator in California (Photo by Maya Hasson)
“Cutting harmful greenhouse gas emissions is a national priority for EPA, and this settlement will lead to significant reductions of an ozone-depleting gas that is 1,700 times more potent than carbon dioxide,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
“Fixing leaks of refrigerants, improving compliance and reducing emissions will make a real difference in protecting us from the dangers of ozone depletion, while reducing the impact on climate change,” she said.
“Industry needs to lead the way in abandoning harmful chemicals in favor of using and developing greener, environmentally friendly alternatives to protect our health and our climate,” said Sam Hirsch, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
Under the settlement, Costco will implement a refrigerant management system to prevent and repair coolant leaks and reduce its corporate-wide average leak rate by one-fifth, from 24 percent in 2011 to 19 percent or less by 2017.
Costco will install and operate environmentally friendly glycol secondary loop refrigeration systems and centrally monitored refrigerant leak detection systems at all new stores for three years. Under the settlement, Costco will retrofit commercial refrigeration equipment at 30 stores, reducing ozone-depleting and greenhouse gas emissions.
The measures required of Costco by the settlement are expected to prevent more than 105,000 pounds of future releases of ozone-depleting refrigerants.
R-22 is also a potent greenhouse gas with 1,700 times more global warming potential than carbon dioxide or CO2. The measures required by the settlement are expected to reduce Costco’s greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.
Clean Air Act Title VI requires owners or operators of commercial refrigeration equipment with over 50 pounds of ozone-depleting refrigerants, and with an annual leak rate greater than 35 percent, to repair all leaks within 30 days.
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