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Detroit Diesel to pay $28.5M over US Clean Air Act violations

8 October 2016

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a settlement with Detroit Diesel Corporation that resolves alleged violations of the Clean Air Act for selling heavy-duty diesel engines that were not certified by the EPA and did not meet applicable emission standards. Under the settlement, Detroit Diesel will pay a $14 million civil penalty and will spend $14.5 million on projects to reduce NOx and other emissions.

The government’s complaint alleged that Detroit Diesel violated the Clean Air Act by introducing into commerce 7,786 heavy-duty diesel engines for use in trucks and buses in model year 2010 without a valid EPA-issued certificate of conformity demonstrating conformance with Clean Air Act standards to control NOx emissions. The complaint also alleged that the engines did not conform to emission standards applicable to model year 2010 engines.

The Clean Air Act requires manufacturers to obtain a certificate of conformity demonstrating compliance with emission standards before introducing an engine into commerce. Certificates of conformity cover only those engines produced within a single model year. A model year for a family of engines ends either when the last such engine is produced, or on December 31 of the calendar year for which the model year is named, whichever date is sooner.

The complaint alleged that Detroit Diesel commenced construction of the heavy-duty diesel engines during model year 2009, but did not complete construction of the engines until calendar year 2010. From January 5, 2010 through June 1, 2010, Detroit Diesel sold the engines for on-highway use in heavy-duty vehicles. Because Detroit Diesel completed the manufacturing of the engines in 2010, the engines required a certificate of conformity demonstrating compliance with 2010 emission standards.

The consent decree requires Detroit Diesel to spend a total of $14.5 million on clean diesel projects. These clean diesel projects include:

Detroit Diesel will be required to post information about these projects on a public website in order to inform the public of actions taken under the settlement.

Source: US EPA