Strong Steel Products to pay $500,000

Chicago, IL— U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 reached an agreement with Strong Steel Products LLC on alleged violations of EPA regulations to protect stratospheric ozone at the company’s scrap metal processing plant in Detroit. EPA assessed a $500,000 penalty.

The agreement resolves EPA allegations that Strong Steel failed to remove chlorinated fluorocarbon refrigerants from junked motor vehicles and small appliances, or to get adequate verification that its scrap-metal suppliers had removed the refrigerants before disposal.

To remedy the problem, Strong Steel built an auto processing facility to remove fluids, including CFCs, from incoming scrap cars and has revised its supplier verification statements. EPA estimates that in the past year the processing facility recovered at least 1,250 pounds of CFCs.

“This settlement is part of an EPA scrap-yard initiative in the Detroit area that is expected to significantly cut the release of CFCs there,” said EPA acting deputy administrator Norman Niedergang.