The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says a Pekin, Illinois company will pay a $300,000 fine for selling unapproved refrigerants and will stop marketing the product.
The agreement settles federal claims that Enviro-Safe Refrigerants was marketing and selling unapproved flammable hydrocarbon refrigerants as substitutes for ozone-depleting refrigerants.
The old refrigerants are being phased out, but the EPA must evaluate and approve any substitute refrigerants to make sure they're safe for health and the environment.
A complaint filed Thursday along with the settlement in federal court alleges Enviro-Safe violated the Clean Air Act.
The EPA says flammable hydrocarbon refrigerants can cause fires or explosions if used in systems not specifically designed for them.
The person who answered the phone at the company late Thursday afternoon said nobody was immediately available to comment.
