Probe into missing refrigerant continues

Adrienne Packer

Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001 | 8:45 a.m.

Information related to refrigerant missing from Clark County storage continues to be fed to the Environmental Protection Agency, prolonging an investigation that has continued for nearly a year.

Duane James, chief of enforcement in the San Francisco-based air division, declined to discuss details of the probe other than to say, "We continue to investigate based on information we're receiving."

James said he couldn't give an estimate as to when the investigation would be completed.

EPA investigators in January requested records from Clark County detailing refrigerant acquisitions, purchases and repair invoices during a two-year period beginning in 1999.

The regional office also asked for the names and addresses of reclamation facilities and the amount and type of refrigerant the county shipped to the warehouses.

In October 2000 the county launched an internal investigation after reports surfaced that $200,000 worth of Freon was missing. Results of the probe showed the county never received credit for thousands of pounds of the refrigerant after it had been removed from downtown buildings in 1996.

The internal audit cited poor record-keeping by the facilities division, which is responsible for the upkeep of county-owned buildings.

EPA officials, who have strict guidelines regarding record-keeping of dangerous materials, said last year the county could have faced a maximum penalty of $25,000 each day it was out of compliance with the federal organization's requirements. Freon is considered a valuable commodity and is sold on the black market.

County spokeswoman Gwen Castaldi said Wednesday that administrators have not heard from the EPA since they responded to the agency's request Feb. 20.

"We haven't heard anything back," Castaldi said. "We literally sent boxes and binders of information and answered all their questions."