EPA Cites Dem-Con Metal Recycling for Clean Air Act Violations at Facility in Shakopee, Minnesota

December 20, 2023

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently issued an order to Dem-Con Metal Recycling, a scrap metal recycler in Shakopee, Minnesota, for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. Dem-Con will pay $140,000 in civil penalties.

EPA alleged that Dem-Con accepted small appliances, such as refrigerators and room air conditioners, that contained ozone-depleting refrigerant without taking proper precautions to recover the chemicals. EPA will require Dem-Con to develop a refrigerant management plan which will include proper refrigerant recovery processes, or they will need to verify refrigerant recovery from items arriving from outside the facility. They also need to notify customers on proper refrigerant recovery requirements.

For more information on the Clean Air Act, visit EPA’s website.