Amazon and Walmart penalized for selling climate-polluting products in Washington state

OLYMPIA — The Washington Department of Ecology (DOE) announced on Thursday that penalties totaling over $1.1 million have been issued to Amazon Inc. and Walmart Inc. for illegally selling climate-polluting cooling and refrigeration products.

DOE officials noted that repeated warnings were given and extensive efforts were made over the course of several years to help the companies comply with the law, prior to these penalties being issued.

Amazon was penalized a total of $800,068, while Walmart was penalized $383,388.

The Washington Legislature passed a series of laws in 2019 and 2021 with the goal of phasing out the use of refrigerant and cooling products that contain greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons.

DOE officials explained that hydrofluorocarbons “trap hundreds to thousands of times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.”

Businesses were first notified about the new laws in November 2021, and most of them reportedly stopped selling restricted products in Washington state. Amazon and Walmart, however, continued selling restricted products that contain a “prohibited refrigerant called R‑134a.”

These restricted products were motor vehicle air conditioning recharge cans, which DOE officials stated are used to refill leaky air conditioning systems in cars and trucks, without having to repairing the leak itself. The use of these products creates a risk of R-134a escaping into the atmosphere, where it has a warming effect 1,430 times higher than carbon dioxide.

“A single 16-ounce can of R-134a has the same impact as driving about 1,500 miles,” DOE officials added.

Drivers with cars that use R-134a refrigerants were urged to find an EPA-certified mechanic to fix their car’s air conditioning system if it starts leaking.

Joel Creswell, manager for Ecology’s Climate Pollution Reduction program, emphasized the importance of restricting these kinds of products.

“Climate change is jeopardizing the health, safety and prosperity of our communities, and because they’re so powerful, phasing out hydrofluorocarbons is one of the most cost-effective actions we can take to address climate change,” Creswell said.

The companies have a deadline of 30 days to pay the penalty, unless they appeal to Washington state’s Pollution Control Hearings Board.