Nashville auto parts company to pay $320K for selling 6,858 illegal ‘defeat devices’
A Nashville auto parts company has agreed to pay a large civil penalty to settle accusations of violations of the Clean Air Act.
Diesel Performance Parts Inc. (DPPI) agreed to pay $320,000 in civil penalties, according to a December 10 joint statement from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Officials say that since September 2018, DPPI sold at least 6,858 aftermarket defeat devices that bypassed, defeated or rendered inoperative emissions control systems that were installed in motor vehicles or in motor vehicle engines. Officials say that the sale of defeat devices violates the Clean Air Act.
In addition to the civil penalty, DPPI has also agreed to remove all marketing material related to defeat devices and to notify dealers and customers about the settlement.
The EPA has called the crackdown on aftermarket defeat devices a “top priority” for the agency.
“Defeat devices violate the Clean Air Act and cause a vehicle to contribute significantly higher amounts of pollutants into the air,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Excess emissions tangibly worsen the air we breathe. We are committed to upholding the rule of law.”
“Defeat devices significantly increase air pollution from motor vehicles and EPA will use all of its enforcement tools to hold sellers of defeat devices like DPPI accountable until these illegal practices stop” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle for Region 4. “These illegal practices contribute to harmful air pollution and impede federal, state, and local efforts to implement air quality standards that protect public health. Emissions from mobile sources play an important role in EPA’s Southeastern region, and the use of these defeat devices hampers our ability to maintain compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.”