California Air Resources Board

SACRAMENTO - The Air Resources Board today announced financial settlements with two California food supply companies for violating a rule on the management of high global warming potential (high GWP) refrigerants. The companies are Performance Foodservice of Southern California and Engelhart Gourmet Foods Inc. of Fairfield.

High GWP refrigerants have global warming potential which is often thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide. These cases involve the companies’ failure to file on time their annual reports of greenhouse gas emissions.  All businesses with a stationary refrigeration unit containing 200 pounds or more of high GWP refrigerant must file this report by March 1 each year. The filing is required under the Regulation for the Management of High Global Warming Refrigerants for Stationary Sources, more commonly known as the Refrigerant Management Program.

“The Refrigeration Management Program is an important part of California’s effort to fight climate change,” said ARB Enforcement Chief James Ryden. “Companies must file annual reports in order to verify that they have regularly serviced their equipment and corrected leaks promptly, preventing emissions of high GWP refrigerants.”

The Refrigerant Management Program is one of a suite of programs under AB 32, California’s climate law, designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The refrigerants in both cases are R-22 and R-507. R 22 has a global warming potential of 1,810, which means it can trap heat 1,810 times more effectively than carbon dioxide. R-507 has a global warming potential 3,985 times higher than carbon dioxide.

Performance Foodservice supplies food, kitchen and restaurant supplies. A notice of violation was issued by ARB to Performance for filing its 2012 annual report late. The Air Resources Board assessed a $95,000 penalty for late filing. Moving forward, Performance has changed its recordkeeping and monitoring procedures to facilitate regulatory compliance.

Engelhart Gourmet Foods Inc. supplies sausage and condiments. A notice of violation was issued to Engelhart for submitting its 2012 annual report late. The Air Resources Board assessed a $65,800 penalty for late filing. The company also has changed its recordkeeping and monitoring procedures.

Both companies faced potential penalties of up to $10,000 per day. However, both were cooperative and filed the late reports quickly, once notified of the violations. These are also first violations in both cases. Both cases concluded in settlement agreements.

High GWP gases are used in a wide variety of products, from refrigeration and air-conditioning, to insulating foams, fire protection equipment, solvents and other applications. Currently, high-GWP gases account for 3 percent of California’s total GHG emissions, but are projected to rise to nearly 8 percent by 2020 as they are used to replace gases which damage the Earth’s ozone layer.

For more information about the Refrigerant Management Program, see: http://www.arb.ca.gov/rmp