There is a case going here in Norway at the moment government vs Teknotherm.

One of their engineers dumped 250 kg of liquid ammonia into a 1000 liter tank of water.

The tank was later tipped over and after some time the ammonia/water mix ran through the groundwater and into a fishing stream/river, killing lots of fish.

The engineer was heavily fined, and so was the company... (they are still fighting in the court).

Another engineer at teknotherm was also fined $500 for using a bucket of water to absorb the ammonia gas from a piston compressor and later pouring the water out on the ground.

In the court, they are treating the ammonia/water spill with the same rules as if you had dumped 250 kgs of mercury and similar substanses...

Now, of course you shouldnt dump ammonia into a river like that, but it was an accident... ok shart happens.

If the state wins it will set the presedence that ammonia is to be treated as highly toxic to the environment and lots of rules will be made, making customers flee from ammonia and find other more environmental damageing refrigerants... after all, ammonia is a natural product.


The law says noting about it being illegal to vent ammonia into the atmosphere, and if they are gonna hang me for using water to absorb it, be it in the ocean or in a bucket of water... and since I have yet to see a commercial available reclaiming unit for ammonia, well from now on I'll be the only guy working in the building or ship as I'll put on my mask, open the valves and go about my way.


any thoughts?