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PA FORMER CALIFORNIA RESIDENT PLEADS GUILTY IN CFC CASE
Release Date: 08/08/98
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 1998
FORMER CALIFORNIA RESIDENT PLEADS GUILTY IN CFC CASE
Randy Lee Christensen, currently of Seattle, Wash., pleaded guilty on July 31, in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles for violating the Clean Air Act. Christensen admitted that he illegally vented the ozone-depleting refrigerant CFC-12 into the atmosphere in 1996 at C&C Distribution in Santa Anna, Calif. CFCs deplete the earth’s ozone layer which protects people from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation which include skin cancer and cataracts. The release occurred when the defendant installed a chemical mixture called “HC-12a” in automobile air conditioners. Since 1995, EPA has prohibited the use of HC-12a as a replacement for CFC-12 in automobiles, because it is flammable and potentially explosive. When sentenced, Christensen faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the California Highway Patrol, the California Bureau of Automotive Repair and the Office of the Orange County District Attorney.
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