PITTSBURGH — A defunct appliance recycling operation in Wisconsin has been ordered to pay $50,000 for the alleged improper handling of refrigerants.

The fine against APS Express Inc. in Waukesha is the result of a civil complaint filed by the state Department of Justice about recycling practices at the facility between 2008 and 2010, according to a statement from the state attorney general’s office.

The state Justice Department alleged that APS salvaged and dismantled refrigeration equipment without approval from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), failed to prevent the release of fluorocarbons and didn’t provide appropriate documentation to the scrap metal dealer purchasing the appliances, among other purported violations.

"Wisconsin law is very clear that refrigerants must be properly recovered using safe techniques and with proper documentation filed with the DNR," John Byron Van Hollen, the state’s attorney general, said.

The company, which closed the facility and couldn’t be reached for comment, will make the payments in more than 30 installments beginning in May.