presents
Leaking Havoc in New York City
Invisible Climate Pollution in Gristedes
Invisible Climate Pollution in Gristedes
In 2021, EIA published the first Leaking Havoc report, which revealed widespread leaks of super-pollutant refrigerants detected in supermarkets in the Washington, D.C. region through an investigation using an infrared refrigerant leak detector.1 EIA’s leak detector then hit the road in 2022, starting a journey to investigate and bring greater awareness of these invisible leaks of greenhouse gases to communities around the country. For our next stop, we partnered with 350NYC to investigate refrigerant leaks in New York City, focusing on NYC-based supermarket chain Gristedes.
The results are alarming: 100% of the seven Gristedes stores investigated in NYC were found to be leaking.
Most of those stores had refrigeration systems labeled as containing super-pollutant hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), refrigerants that are thousands of times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide. In two stores, we detected what appear to be leaks of obsolete CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) or HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) refrigerants, which are also potent climate warmers and have been phased out through regulations due to their harmful impact on the ozone layer. Most of the Gristedes stores had some refrigeration equipment that was not properly labeled with a refrigerant gas at all. Our findings raise red flags about Gristedes’ refrigerant management practices, and potentially, their compliance with environmental regulations.
Annually, an average supermarket leaks planet-warming fluorinated refrigerants that amount to burning more than 1.5 million pounds of coal.2 It is critical that the food retail sector take action to control leaking refrigerants and transition to climate-friendly HFC-free alternatives.
Photo Credit: Ajay Suresh, modified
Gristedes Environmental Track Record
Gristedes is one of the most common and well-known supermarket chains across New York City, with 19 store locations primarily in Manhattan. Gristedes, together with D’Agostino’s, another common NYC grocer, are privately owned by Red Apple Group, a conglomerate with subsidiaries in real estate, media, and the petroleum industry.3 Gristedes has a history of ridiculing4 and violating New York City’s plastic bag ban.5 To our knowledge, neither Red Apple Group nor Gristedes have made public commitments or goals to reduce HFCs or other greenhouse gases. Gristedes does not make public any information about its refrigerant management practices or leak rates, nor is there any information regarding the company taking steps to adopt more climate-friendly technologies6 to replace HFCs.
In September, EIA and 350NYC visited seven Gristedes stores located throughout the borough of Manhattan, in neighborhoods ranging from Greenwich Village, to Midtown, to the Upper East Side. Equipped with a Bacharach PGM-IR portable refrigerant leak detector, the same industry-recognized leak detection equipment and methodology used in our previous report, we walked the frozen and refrigerated isles to measure leaks that are invisible to the human eye.
The Bacharach detected refrigerant leaks at or above the detectable threshold of 2 parts per million (ppm) in 100% of the Gristedes stores we surveyed. By comparison, EIA’s previous survey of dozens of stores in the Washington, D.C. area uncovered leaks in just over half the stores surveyed. Our survey represents 7 out of 19 total Gristedes stores (35%) and while this sample is not necessarily representative of all the company’s stores, it strongly indicates that Gristedes stores are leaking at a significantly higher rate than the stores covered in EIA’s previous Leaking Havoc report.
Our team detected refrigerant concentrations ranging from 2 to 13 parts per million (ppm) in and around refrigeration equipment in the stores. Detection of any concentration 2 ppm or greater is considered a potentially major refrigerant leak. The concentration of gas detected is not necessarily indicative of the size of a leak. Even detection of low concentrations can be indicative of very large leaks, since the gas can be dispersed throughout a large volume of air in the supermarket, and leaks can continue over a long period of time.
The Bacharach detected refrigerant leaks at or above the detectable threshold of 2 parts per million (ppm) in 100% of the Gristedes stores we surveyed. By comparison, EIA’s previous survey of dozens of stores in the Washington, D.C. area uncovered leaks in just over half the stores surveyed. Our survey represents 7 out of 19 total Gristedes stores (35%) and while this sample is not necessarily representative of all the company’s stores, it strongly indicates that Gristedes stores are leaking at a significantly higher rate than the stores covered in EIA’s previous Leaking Havoc report.
Our team detected refrigerant concentrations ranging from 2 to 13 parts per million (ppm) in and around refrigeration equipment in the stores. Detection of any concentration 2 ppm or greater is considered a potentially major refrigerant leak. The concentration of gas detected is not necessarily indicative of the size of a leak. Even detection of low concentrations can be indicative of very large leaks, since the gas can be dispersed throughout a large volume of air in the supermarket, and leaks can continue over a long period of time.
"If you encounter any significant gas – 2 ppm or more – I would strongly suggest that you start looking in earnest for what might be a major leak in the case. Always keep in mind that leaks are going to be at dispersion. So, 2 parts per million in the front of this case could be a much greater leak as the air mixes and disperses throughout the unit. So any gas at all is an indicator that you have some kind of leak in process"
– Instructional Video by Bacharach, Manufacturer of PGM-IR Portable Leak Detector7
Most of the leaking stores contained refrigerated cases with refrigerant labels indicating use of R404A, an HFC blend with one of the highest global warming potentials (GWP) commonly used: 4,000 times greater than CO2. In two of the stores, we detected leaks from refrigerated cases with labels for R12 and R22. These refrigerants deplete the ozone layer and have GWPs of 11,200 and 1,960, respectively. R12 is an ozone depleting CFC, the first generation and most potent of the ozone- and climate-damaging gases phased out globally under the Montreal Protocol. The presence of the R12 and R22 labels on Gristedes equipment indicates the use of older equipment that are more prone to leak at high rates.
The leak detector measures concentrations of three super-pollutant gases with labels found in Gristedes stores
Ozone depleting refrigerants, such as R12 and R22, are subject to Clean Air Act regulations8 which require supermarkets to track their leak rates, and repair them if they exceed 20% of the total quantity of refrigerant in the system in a given year. The owners of these systems are also required to keep records of the servicing of these systems to show they are following these rules.
While the information uncovered by our investigation cannot determine conclusively the type or quantity of refrigerants leaked in a specific store, or whether the leaks detected represent a violation of these federal requirements, our organizations have notified relevant authorities of our findings. Furthermore, all seven Gristedes stores visited during the investigation contained some refrigerated cases that were not properly labeled as containing a specific refrigerant, indicating that any of the seven stores could also contain ozone depleting refrigerants.
Our team could only detect refrigerant leaks from the display cases accessible to customers. We were unable to access the large storage cold rooms, machine rooms, rooftop cooling units, and other equipment where the EPA estimates 79% of supermarket leaks occur.9 We therefore cannot rule out the possibility of additional leaks, especially in locations off limits to customers and in stores we did not visit.
Shortly following our investigation, we sent a letter to Gristedes notifying the company of the leaks discovered in their stores and urging them to take prompt action. Gristedes did not respond to the letter or subsequent follow up requesting a meeting to discuss our findings.
Unfortunately, the leaks detected at Gristedes are just one example of an industry-wide problem. Based on industry reported data, HFC emissions make up 65% of a food retailer’s direct greenhouse gas emissions from operations on average.10 In a previous investigation, EIA exposed leaks at numerous supermarket chains in the Washington, D.C. area, finding more than 55% of the stores investigated were leaking, including some of the biggest names in retail.
In fact, the average supermarket releases about 25% of its refrigerant into the atmosphere every year.11 Since an average supermarket contains about 3,500 pounds of refrigerant in their systems, one store's annual leaks warm the planet as much as adding 300 cars to the road. The leaks from all 38,000 U.S. supermarkets are therefore a significant yet preventable threat to the climate.12 If U.S. supermarkets cut their leak rates in half, they could collectively reduce their emissions by about 15.5 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent by 2025.13
In fact, the average supermarket releases about 25% of its refrigerant into the atmosphere every year.11 Since an average supermarket contains about 3,500 pounds of refrigerant in their systems, one store's annual leaks warm the planet as much as adding 300 cars to the road. The leaks from all 38,000 U.S. supermarkets are therefore a significant yet preventable threat to the climate.12 If U.S. supermarkets cut their leak rates in half, they could collectively reduce their emissions by about 15.5 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent by 2025.13
Supermarkets like Gristedes would be wise to future-proof their stores from increasing climate regulations by adopting HFC-free alternatives and shoring up their refrigeration management.
HFCs were invented to replace ozone-depleting substances previously used in cooling systems. While HFCs do not damage the ozone layer, they can be thousands of times worse for the climate when compared to CO2. As short-lived climate pollutants with atmospheric lifetimes around 15 years, reducing HFC emissions can deliver fast reductions in global warming, preventing up to 0.5°C this century.
The United States has joined more than 140 other countries in phasing down HFCs under the Montreal Protocol’s Kigali Amendment, with ratifying the agreement with broad bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate.14 The American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM Act) of 2020 authorizes new federal regulations to implement the phasedown.15 The EPA has issued a proposed rule to ban the use of HFCs above a GWP of 150 for most new supermarket refrigeration systems,16 and is expected to issue another proposed rule in 2023 to regulate HFC leaks from equipment including supermarkets.
Accelerating the global phasedown of HFCs is necessary to meet our climate goals under the Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to under 1.5°C.17 And federal HFC regulations are unlikely to be enough to meet targets under more ambitious climate laws on the books in many states, including New York. Some states such as California18 and Washington have already adopted more ambitious HFC reduction targets and regulations. Recently passed California legislation bans the sale of many HFCs entirely, including those commonly found in supermarkets such as R404A. Washington state is in the process of implementing a Refrigerant Management Program to control leaks in large cooling systems such as supermarkets, which will require leak detection and repair.
New York’s Climate Roadmap and HFCs
New York state recently finalized a new climate roadmap to achieve the state’s mandate to reduce emissions 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050.19 According to NY’s climate roadmap, HFCs make up 14% of all building sector emissions and supermarkets are the largest source of HFC emissions in the state. All pathways to meet the state’s climate targets require steep reduction in HFC emissions and adoption of ultra-low GWP (<10) technologies. The roadmap recommends a number of policy actions to implement a just transition from reliance on HFCs.20 This includes promulgating regulations requiring leak detection for commercial refrigeration equipment. The plan also calls for providing incentives such as utility rebates and grant programs to support the adoption of natural refrigerants in food stores, particularly for businesses operating in disadvantaged communities. Other recommendations include providing education and workforce development programs, such as apprenticeship programs for low-GWP and natural refrigerants and regulations regarding proper reclamation or destruction of refrigerants at end-of-life. 
Fortunately, taking action on refrigerant leaks can be better for both the planet and company pocket books. Supermarkets that have adopted refrigerant management best practices to detect and repair leaks under EPA’s voluntary GreenChill Partnership have saved thousands of dollars per year in servicing and refrigerant costs.21 These cost savings from reducing leaks are only expected to grow as the price of increasingly scarce HFC refrigerants rises under the AIM act phasedown.
New refrigeration equipment using HFC-free alternatives are also available, and often more energy efficient, leading to additional energy-related savings. HFC-free alternatives for replacement refrigeration equipment include carbon dioxide (R-744), ammonia (R-717), and hydrocarbons such as propane (R-290) and isobutene (R-600a), all of which have ultra-low GWPs less than 10. Other companies are already eliminating these climate polluters from their stores. These include hundreds of stores operated by ALDI, Whole Foods, Target and others.22 Most recently, Walmart has also committed to adopting ultra-low GWP refrigerants to replace all HFCs in its stores by 2040.23
New refrigeration equipment using HFC-free alternatives are also available, and often more energy efficient, leading to additional energy-related savings. HFC-free alternatives for replacement refrigeration equipment include carbon dioxide (R-744), ammonia (R-717), and hydrocarbons such as propane (R-290) and isobutene (R-600a), all of which have ultra-low GWPs less than 10. Other companies are already eliminating these climate polluters from their stores. These include hundreds of stores operated by ALDI, Whole Foods, Target and others.22 Most recently, Walmart has also committed to adopting ultra-low GWP refrigerants to replace all HFCs in its stores by 2040.23
Large national supermarket chains are not the only companies adopting HFC-free alternatives. Another small NY-based grocer DeCicco and Sons, a company operating only 10 stores in total, received environmental recognition for installing its first HFC–free system using R-744 in 2016,24 and saw such strong performance that it has since installed the technology in additional stores.25 The improved energy efficiency of the new R-744 system reportedly cut the company’s annual energy costs in one store by $74,000.26 HFC-free solutions and sustainable refrigerant management strategies are both available and cost-effective, including for smaller companies.
Gristedes must take immediate action to stop these refrigerant leaks and improve their overall refrigerant management.27 This should include, for example, joining EPA’s GreenChill Partnership to adopt leak management best practices or installing automatic leak detection systems. We also urge Gristedes to develop a strategy and time-bound public commitment to transition stores to HFC-free refrigeration systems.
Failure to fix its leaky equipment comes at a high cost to the planet and Gristedes’ bottomline. Gristedes must make the common sense and climate-friendly choice of fixing its leaks and retrofitting its stores for an HFC-free future.
EIA and 350NYC urge government officials in New York to move swiftly to implement the recommendations in NY state’s climate roadmap regarding HFCs. The supermarket and retail sector must be a major focus of these efforts, including improved regulations on leak management, replication of laws in other states such as California’s SB1206, and incentive programs to accelerate replacement of existing HFC systems.
As the new year begins, we hope you’ll beware of spending your shopping dollars at a store using climate-polluting refrigerants. Learn how to investigate your store to find out if it uses HFCs, and if it does, find an HFC-free store near you on the climate-friendly supermarkets map.
As for us in 2023, we’re ready to keep investigating climate pollution across the country and raising awareness about the invisible super pollutants leaking in your grocery aisles. The EIA leak detector’s road trip from Washington, D.C. to New York City may be just the beginning. Whose supermarket will we be leak detecting in next?
Endnotes
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1. Washington Post, There’s an invisible climate threat seeping from grocery store freezers, https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/02/15/these-gases-your-grocerys-freezer-are-fueling-climate-change-biden-wants-fix-that/
2. This estimate is based on an EPA profile of an average supermarket with approximately 3,500 pounds of refrigerant and a 25% annual leak rate. Conversions made using EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.
3. Red Apple Group, https://ragny.com/
4. Gristedes Twitter, https://twitter.com/gristedes/status/1231957441224552448
5. City Limits, Plastic Bags Still Ubiquitous in NYC Shops, Months After Enforcement of Ban Began, https://citylimits.org/2022/02/10/plastic-bags-still-ubiquitous-in-nyc-shops-months-after-enforcement-of-ban-began/
6. EIA, Technology Adoption, https://www.climatefriendlysupermarkets.org/technology-adoption
7. See Bacharach Instructional Video, PGM-IR Detecting Grocery Store Leaks – Sales floor: https://youtu.be/YqxO4beUfZg, time stamp: 1:20
8. Environmental Protection Agency, Refrigerant Management Requirements, https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-09/documents/608_fact_sheet_supermarkets_property_managers_0.pdf
9. EPA, Commercial Refrigeration Leak Prevention & Repairs, https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/leakpreventionrepairguidelines.pdf
10. 65% represents the average amount of the Scope 1 emissions in MTCO2e that are attributable to HFCs representing the average of 4 major U.S. food retailers that report to the Combined Disclosure Project. 2018 Data.
11. Environmental Protection Agency, Prioritizing Leak Tightness During Commercial Refrigeration Retrofits, https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/GChill_Retrofit.pdf
12. Food Industry Association, Supermarket Facts, https://www.fmi.org/our-research/supermarket-facts
13. EIA, Climate Friendly Supermarkets - Company Actions, https://www.climatefriendlysupermarkets.org/company-actions
14. EIA, U.S. Senate Votes to Ratify Kigali Amendment, https://us.eia.org/press-releases/20220921-us-senate-votes-kigali-pr/
15. Environmental Protection Agency, Protecting Our Climate by Reducing HFCs, https://www.epa.gov/climate-hfcs-reduction
16. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Proposes Rule to Advance Transition to Safer, More Efficient Heating and Cooling Technologies, https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-proposes-rule-advance-transition-safer-more-efficient-heating-and-cooling
17. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C, see Chapter 2, at: https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
18. EIA, Fact Sheet: California’s New Climate Legislation, https://us.eia.org/report/20221003-sb1206-fact-sheet/
19. New York State, New York State Climate Action Council Finalizes Scoping Plan to Advance Nation-leading Climate Law, https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/About/Newsroom/2022-Announcements/2022-12-19-NYS-Climate-Action-Council-Finalizes-Scoping-Plan-to-Advance-Nation-Leading-Climate-Law?utm_source=nyserda&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dec-22
20. NY State Final Scoping Plan, See Pages 216-217 for Building Sector recommendations. Other HFC Recommendations are covered in Chapter on Waste, See page 331. Available at: https://climate.ny.gov/-/media/project/climate/files/NYS-Climate-Action-Council-Final-Scoping-Plan-2022.pdf
21. EIA, Refrigerant Management, https://www.climatefriendlysupermarkets.org/refrigerant-management
22. EIA, Climate-Friendly Supermarkets Map, https://www.climatefriendlysupermarkets.org/map
23. Walmart, ESG Reporting, Published April 2022, https://corporate.walmart.com/esgreport/environmental/climate-change
24. ACHR News, DeCicco & Sons Earns GreenChill Award for Eco-Friendly Store, https://www.achrnews.com/articles/132555-decicco-sons-earns-greenchill-award-for-eco-friendly-store
25. ECA Cool, DeCicco & Sons: Growing with CO2, https://www.ecacool.com/en/news/decicco_sons_with_co2/
26. Zondits, Efficient Transcritical CO2 Refrigeration During Warm Months, https://www.zondits.com/transcritical-co2-refrigeration-adiabatic/
27. EIA, NRDC, and IGSD, The 90 Billion Ton Climate Opportunity, https://us.eia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Refrigerant-Lifecycle-FullReport-6Spreads-PRINT.pdf
2. This estimate is based on an EPA profile of an average supermarket with approximately 3,500 pounds of refrigerant and a 25% annual leak rate. Conversions made using EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.
3. Red Apple Group, https://ragny.com/
4. Gristedes Twitter, https://twitter.com/gristedes/status/1231957441224552448
5. City Limits, Plastic Bags Still Ubiquitous in NYC Shops, Months After Enforcement of Ban Began, https://citylimits.org/2022/02/10/plastic-bags-still-ubiquitous-in-nyc-shops-months-after-enforcement-of-ban-began/
6. EIA, Technology Adoption, https://www.climatefriendlysupermarkets.org/technology-adoption
7. See Bacharach Instructional Video, PGM-IR Detecting Grocery Store Leaks – Sales floor: https://youtu.be/YqxO4beUfZg, time stamp: 1:20
8. Environmental Protection Agency, Refrigerant Management Requirements, https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-09/documents/608_fact_sheet_supermarkets_property_managers_0.pdf
9. EPA, Commercial Refrigeration Leak Prevention & Repairs, https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/leakpreventionrepairguidelines.pdf
10. 65% represents the average amount of the Scope 1 emissions in MTCO2e that are attributable to HFCs representing the average of 4 major U.S. food retailers that report to the Combined Disclosure Project. 2018 Data.
11. Environmental Protection Agency, Prioritizing Leak Tightness During Commercial Refrigeration Retrofits, https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/GChill_Retrofit.pdf
12. Food Industry Association, Supermarket Facts, https://www.fmi.org/our-research/supermarket-facts
13. EIA, Climate Friendly Supermarkets - Company Actions, https://www.climatefriendlysupermarkets.org/company-actions
14. EIA, U.S. Senate Votes to Ratify Kigali Amendment, https://us.eia.org/press-releases/20220921-us-senate-votes-kigali-pr/
15. Environmental Protection Agency, Protecting Our Climate by Reducing HFCs, https://www.epa.gov/climate-hfcs-reduction
16. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Proposes Rule to Advance Transition to Safer, More Efficient Heating and Cooling Technologies, https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-proposes-rule-advance-transition-safer-more-efficient-heating-and-cooling
17. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C, see Chapter 2, at: https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
18. EIA, Fact Sheet: California’s New Climate Legislation, https://us.eia.org/report/20221003-sb1206-fact-sheet/
19. New York State, New York State Climate Action Council Finalizes Scoping Plan to Advance Nation-leading Climate Law, https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/About/Newsroom/2022-Announcements/2022-12-19-NYS-Climate-Action-Council-Finalizes-Scoping-Plan-to-Advance-Nation-Leading-Climate-Law?utm_source=nyserda&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dec-22
20. NY State Final Scoping Plan, See Pages 216-217 for Building Sector recommendations. Other HFC Recommendations are covered in Chapter on Waste, See page 331. Available at: https://climate.ny.gov/-/media/project/climate/files/NYS-Climate-Action-Council-Final-Scoping-Plan-2022.pdf
21. EIA, Refrigerant Management, https://www.climatefriendlysupermarkets.org/refrigerant-management
22. EIA, Climate-Friendly Supermarkets Map, https://www.climatefriendlysupermarkets.org/map
23. Walmart, ESG Reporting, Published April 2022, https://corporate.walmart.com/esgreport/environmental/climate-change
24. ACHR News, DeCicco & Sons Earns GreenChill Award for Eco-Friendly Store, https://www.achrnews.com/articles/132555-decicco-sons-earns-greenchill-award-for-eco-friendly-store
25. ECA Cool, DeCicco & Sons: Growing with CO2, https://www.ecacool.com/en/news/decicco_sons_with_co2/
26. Zondits, Efficient Transcritical CO2 Refrigeration During Warm Months, https://www.zondits.com/transcritical-co2-refrigeration-adiabatic/
27. EIA, NRDC, and IGSD, The 90 Billion Ton Climate Opportunity, https://us.eia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Refrigerant-Lifecycle-FullReport-6Spreads-PRINT.pdf