or some other 3rd world country that doesn't care about one vehicle's worth of R12, that most likely already leaked into the atmosphere unknowingly. The law isn't really against releasing the R12, but knowing about it. Just goes to show that there are no laws against being stupid, although if there was, you wouldn't need a bunch of other laws. So, if you tear apart your old AC without doing any research at all, you should be safe. I can't see the Government actually locking someone up for doing something once that junkyards did for years and are still doing. Oh no .. just realized so please keep this confidential or maybe they'll come after me for ripping off that tag on my mattress.