U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has reached an agreement with Strong Steel Products LLC on alleged violations of EPA regulations at the company's scrap metal processing plant in Detroit, Mich.

The agreement resolves EPA allegations that Strong Steel failed to remove ozone-depleting chlorinated fluorocarbon refrigerants from junked motor vehicles and small appliances, or to get adequate verification that its scrap-metal suppliers had removed the refrigerants before disposal.

To remedy the problem, Strong Steel has built an auto processing facility to remove fluids, including CFCs, from incoming scrap cars and has revised its supplier verification statements. EPA estimates that in the past year, the processing facility recovered at least 1250 pounds of CFCs.

"This settlement is part of an EPA scrap-yard initiative in the Detroit area that is expected to significantly cut the release of CFCs there," said EPA Acting Deputy Regional Administrator Norman Niedergang.

As part of the agreement, EPA also assessed a $500,000 penalty.