UNITED STATES NEWS

Safeway to pay $600K fine for clean air violations

Sep 5, 2013, 1:40 AM

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Grocery retailer Safeway, Inc. will pay $600,000 and has agreed to a nationwide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from refrigeration equipment at its 659 U.S. stores under terms of a settlement released Wednesday.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice said the settlement with the Pleasanton, Calif.-based retailer is the largest ozone protection case ever reached under the Clean Air Act.

The government says Safeway violated the nation’s clear air laws by not promptly fixing leaks of HCFC-22, a potent heat-trapping gas that contributes to climate change, from its refrigerators.

The government says Safeway, the nation’s second-largest grocery retailer, also failed to keep proper maintenance records.

In a statement Wednesday, Safeway pointed out that the settlement does not require the company to admit any liability.

“The allegations in the complaint are dated from 2004 to 2007 and do not reflect a number of improvements Safeway has implemented since that time,” the company statement said.

Safeway also agreed to reduce its company-wide average leak rate from 25 percent to 18 percent or below by 2015.

To do so, it will invest an estimated $4.1 million in new systems, equipment upgrades and other changes meant to reduce leakage of the harmful gas.

EPA estimates the changes could prevent the future release of more than 100,000 pounds of the ozone-depleting refrigerants.

“Today’s settlement … will also achieve important climate benefits because these ozone depleting substances are over 1,800 times more potent than carbon dioxide,” Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Pacific Southwest regional administrator, said.

Safeway also operates Vons stores in Southern California and Nevada, Randalls in Texas and Carrs in Alaska.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

United States News

Associated Press

A man gets 19 years for a downtown St. Louis crash that cost a teen volleyball player her legs

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A St. Louis man has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for causing a downtown accident that resulted in the amputation of the legs of a teenage volleyball player from Tennessee. Daniel Riley, 22, was convicted last month of second-degree assault, armed criminal action, fourth-degree assault and driving without a […]

56 minutes ago

Associated Press

The Latest | Jury selection in Trump’s hush money trial shifts to picking alternates

NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers in former President Donald Trump ‘s hush money case shifted their attention Friday to picking alternates as jury selection resumed for a fourth day. The proceedings began again with the questionnaire phase of jury selection and 22 possible jurors were brought in. As many as five alternate jurors must be […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Stock market today: Wall Street limps toward its longest weekly losing streak since September

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street’s latest losing week looks to be coming to a relatively quiet close on Friday. U.S. stocks are drifting after oil prices briefly surged overnight on worries about fighting in the Middle East. The S&P 500 was 0.1% higher in early trading and on track for its third straight losing […]

8 hours ago

Associated Press

Jury selection could be nearing a close in Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers worked Friday to round out the panel of 12 jurors and six alternates who will hear Donald Trump’s hush money trial, as the former president railed against a gag order that has prosecutors seeking to hold him in contempt of court. After a jury of 12 New Yorkers was seated […]

11 hours ago

southern Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly...

Associated Press

Trial of a southern Arizona rancher charged in fatal shooting of unarmed migrant goes to the jury

Closing arguments were made against a southern Arizona rancher accused of shooting an undocumented migrant on his land to death on Thursday.

13 hours ago

Associated Press

Unfair labor complaint filed against Notre Dame over athletes

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — An unfair labor complaint was filed Thursday against the University of Notre Dame for classifying college athletes as “student-athletes.” The complaint was filed with the National Labor Relations Board by a California-based group calling itself the College Basketball Players Association. It said Notre Dame is engaging in unfair labor practices […]

14 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Condor Airlines

Condor Airlines can get you smoothly from Phoenix to Frankfurt on new A330-900neo airplane

Adventure Awaits! And there's no better way to experience the vacation of your dreams than traveling with Condor Airlines.

...

DESERT INSTITUTE FOR SPINE CARE

Desert Institute for Spine Care is the place for weekend warriors to fix their back pain

Spring has sprung and nothing is better than March in Arizona. The temperatures are perfect and with the beautiful weather, Arizona has become a hotbed for hikers, runners, golfers, pickleball players and all types of weekend warriors.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Day & Night is looking for the oldest AC in the Valley

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.

Safeway to pay $600K fine for clean air violations