Safeway Settles Clean Air Act Violations

Retailer Safeway, Inc. settled its Clean Air Act case with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice. As part of the settlement deal, Safeway agreed to pay a $600,000 fine and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from refrigerator equipment at its 659 stores in the United States. Considered the largest ozone protection case ever under the CAC, the issue arose from Safeway’s failure to promptly fix leaks of HCFC-22 from its refrigerators and keep maintenance records.