The U.S. engine maker Cummins Inc. is facing the largest Clean Air Act penalty ever imposed by the EPA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This is due to accusations of circumventing emissions tests for some of their diesel engines.
The EPA has accused Cummins of selling “defeat devices,” which are features in diesel engines that reduce engine emissions only during emissions testing. This allowed Cummins-made engines to pass the tests, while releasing higher levels of nitrogen oxides into the air when fitted to actual vehicles.
This is not only a violation of the Clean Air Act, but also a breach of the U.S. consumer protection laws. The EPA has ordered Cummins to pay a penalty of more than $1 billion, as well as $200 million to partially cover the costs of replacing high-polluting engines on the roads.
Cummins has admitted that it installed this technology on certain engines, but denied that these measures were meant to truly deceive emissions tests. The company issued a statement saying that the defeat devices were installed to “guard against unexpected, sudden and adverse changes” in the operating environment of the engine, which could occur due to unique customer requirements or conditions.
The EPA is also seeking injunctive relief, which would require Cummins to change its practices in order to prevent future violations of the law. This could mean more costly remediation measures for the company in order to comply with the EPA’s orders.
This hefty penalty serves to not only punish Cummins for its deceptive practices, but also to deter other companies from similar violations in the future. It is hoped that this will discourage other diesel engine manufacturers from taking similar routes to evade emission standards.
Although this penalty is one of the highest Clean Air Act penalties ever imposed, it is also a sign that the EPA is serious about enforcing emissions regulations. We can only hope that this will set a precedent for similar cases – and that the environment will benefit from stricter enforcement of environmental regulations.
