Washington Fines Walmart $383,388, Amazon $800,068 for Selling Banned Refrigerants

The Washington Department of Ecology fined Walmart $383,388 and Amazon $800,068, a combined total exceeding $1.1 million, for continuing to sell motor vehicle air conditioning recharge cans containing the prohibited refrigerant R-134a, despite receiving repeated warnings from state regulators over several years.

The penalties, announced March 19, target a specific product: pressurized cans used to refill leaking vehicle A/C systems rather than repair the underlying leak. That design flaw is central to the environmental concern. When drivers use the cans to top off a leaking system, the R-134a escapes into the atmosphere, where the Department of Ecology says it carries a warming effect 1,430 times higher than carbon dioxide. A single 16-ounce can, the agency said, carries the same climate impact as driving roughly 1,500 miles.

Washington's Legislature passed laws in 2019 and 2021 to phase out hydrofluorocarbons, the class of greenhouse gases that includes R-134a. The Department of Ecology began notifying businesses about those restrictions in November 2021, and most companies stopped selling the prohibited products in Washington. Amazon and Walmart did not.

"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," said Creswell, a Department of Ecology official.

Both companies offered explanations in response to the fines. Amazon said in a statement that it had worked in good faith with the Department of Ecology and pointed to third-party sellers as bearing primary responsibility. "We have worked in good faith with the Washington Department of Ecology to improve our controls for bulk hydrofluorocarbons, remove noncompliant products, and educate third-party sellers, who are responsible for the majority of sales at issue, about their compliance obligations. The products in question have been removed," an Amazon spokesperson said.

Walmart's response was briefer. "We have rules in place on Walmart.com to prevent the sale of these products in Washington. We are continuing to improve our processes and remain engaged with the Department of Ecology," the company said.

Both companies have 30 days from the announcement to either pay their respective penalties or file an appeal with Washington's Pollution Control Hearings Board.

For drivers who already own vehicles that use R-134a refrigerant, the Department of Ecology is clear: there is no need to switch refrigerants or replace the vehicle. A leak can be properly addressed by an EPA-certified mechanic, which keeps the refrigerant contained rather than venting it to the atmosphere. The fines against two of the country's largest retailers signal that Washington intends to enforce its HFC restrictions at scale, not just against smaller distributors.