In a settlement agreement Safeway, the second largest grocery store chain in the US, has agreed to implement a corporate-wide plan to significantly reduce its emissions of ozone-depleting substances from refrigeration equipment at 659 of its stores nationwide.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice, the settlement resolves allegations that Safeway violated the federal CAA by failing to promptly repair leaks of HCFC-22 and failed to keep adequate records of the servicing of its refrigeration equipment.

The work is estimated to cost approximately $4.1 million, and the company has also agreed to pay a $600,000 civil penalty.

Safeway will now implement a corporate refrigerant compliance management system to comply with stratospheric ozone regulations. In addition, Safeway will reduce its corporate-wide average leak rate from 25 percent in 2012 to 18 percent or below in 2015. The company will also reduce the aggregate refrigerant emissions at its highest-emission stores by 10 percent each year for three years.

'Safeway's new corporate commitment to reduce air pollution and help protect the ozone layer is vital and significant,' said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. 'Fixing leaks, improving compliance and reducing emissions will make a real difference in protecting us from the dangers of ozone depletion, while reducing the impact on climate change.'