Anyone who owns a vehicle covered by voided certificates can continue to use it.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – EPA – today announced a $680,000 settlement with recreational vehicle manufacturers, Loncin (USA), Inc., Longting USA LLC, and Chongqing Longting Power Equipment Co., Ltd., to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) caused by the import of 7,115 uncertified recreational vehicles into the United States. It was the latest in a series of actions against the Chinese company and its agents.
EPA alleges that Loncin (USA), Inc. and Longting USA LLC held certificates of conformity that were voided by EPA following an investigation of MotorScience, Inc., a California-based consulting firm that allegedly used false or incomplete information to certify vehicles under the Clean Air Act for four of its clients, including Loncin.
In addition to the $680,000 civil penalty, the Respondents are required to complete an emissions mitigation project, which requires a donation of $10,000 to a state, local, or tribal agency or non-profit organization that is implementing a wood-burning appliance change-out or retrofit project in the U.S. The number of replacements or retrofits must be sufficient to reduce the projected emission of at least 26 tons of hydrocarbons plus oxides of nitrogen (HC+NOx) and ten tons of carbon monoxide (CO).
More than 7,000 of these vehicles were manufactured by Chongqing Longting Power Equipment Co., Ltd. and imported by companies such as The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack, Baja, Inc., and BMS Motorsports, Inc.
“By taking action to deter the importation and sale of non-compliant engines, EPA is ensuring a level playing field for manufacturers and protecting Americans from illegal air emissions,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
Last September EPA filed a civil complaint against MotorScience, Inc. and the owner of the company for allegedly causing the importation of more than 24,000 uncertified vehicles from China that do not comply with the Clean Air Act’s requirements.
Prior to that in June of 2010 EPA withdrew its approval of the import and sale of 200,000 gas-powered off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles from China. Today’s settlement stems from that investigation. That was the first time EPA voided certificates of conformity for off-road or all-terrain vehicles. Moreover, it is only the second time the agency had done so for any type of vehicle.
