Icicle Seafoods is paying out $430,000 in fines to the federal government for using ozone-depleting refrigerants at its facilities and aboard its vessels.

According to a complaint filed by the Environmental Protection Agency, Icicle violated the Clean Air Act by using R-22 refrigerant in a negligent manner. In 2006, the company allegedly failed to test for refrigerant leaks aboard the Northern Victor, a factory trawler that processes Bering Sea pollock. Icicle also allegedly failed to repair those leaks within a month of their being discovered.

Court documents state that Icicle is being penalized for failing to repair leaks at a Washington state facility and for improper maintenance and record keeping at facilities in Petersburg and Egegik.

The settlement was filed in the U.S. District Court in western Washington on Friday.

This is the second time this summer that a major seafood company with operations in Alaska has been penalized for the use of illegal refrigerants. American Seafoods agreed to pay $700,000 in fines for smuggling R-22 refrigerant and then using it aboard its factory trawlers.

Kate McClintock, a compliance officer with the EPA, says that the crackdown is part of a larger effort to limit the use of refrigerants that could contribute to climate change.

“A lot of companies in the fishing industry and stationary sources such as grocery stores still use these ozone depleting substances. And there are a lot of pounds used out there and they all have to repair leaks in a timely manner,” says McClintock. “But eventually most of these systems should be replaced as part of our phase out program but it will take probably the next decade or two for that to happen.”

Icicle did not return a request for comment. While the company has agreed to the settlement, it denies the allegations made by the EPA in its complaint.

KFSK's Joe Viechnicki contributed reporting to this story.