California Air Resources Board

Pacific Cheese Co., Inc. Settles For $6,000

In October 2022, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Pacific Cheese Co., Inc. reached a settlement in the amount of $6,000 for the company’s violations of the Regulation for the Management of High Global Warming Potential Refrigerants for Stationary Sources, California Code of Regulations, title 17, section 95380 et seq. (RMP Regulation).

Pacific Cheese Co., Inc., with its principal location in Hayward, California, is a cheese supplier that operates medium sized refrigeration systems having a full charge of greater than 200 and less than 2,000 pounds of refrigerant. Pacific Cheese Co., Inc. is subject to the requirements of the RMP Regulation because it self-reported that it owns and operates stationary refrigeration systems.

In 2020, Pacific Cheese Co., Inc.was referred to the Enforcement Division for late reporting, late annual implementation fee payment, and lack of leak inspection records as specified in California Code of Regulations, title 17, section 95386(a). CARB’s investigation identified the following violations: failure to inspect one refrigeration system for leaks once every three months in 2019, failure to report on time for calendar year 2019 and failure to pay annual implementation fees on time for calendar year 2019.

Pacific Cheese Co., Inc. came into compliance quickly, and fully cooperated with the investigation. The penalty of $6,000 is over an unspecified number of days of violation. The total penalty amount will be deposited into CARB’s Air Pollution Control Fund, which provides funding for projects and research to improve California's air quality.

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