Court Clears Irwindale Gas Recycler

A federal court cleared Omega Refrigerant Reclamation Corp., an Irwindale-based recycling firm, of charges of smuggling a banned air-conditioning chemical. However, the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles upheld a second charge: failure to meet purity standard. Sentencing is scheduled for February. In January, the Justice Department indicted 15 people nationwide in a crackdown against the black market of illegal gases used as refrigerants. Federal law enacted in 1996 bars firms from producing and importing such gases. However, recyclers of these gases may continue to operate. The investigation into Omega began in October 1995, when the Environmental Protection Agency seized gas containers from the firm. Omega had imported 80,000 pounds of refrigerant from Britain and Australia with proper documentation, said Omega President Dennis O’Meara. “It’s a game for [officials]. They overwhelm small companies knowing the cost of defense may force a settlement,” he said. Omega processes 300,000 to 500,000 pounds of gases annually.