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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 – 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa, KS 66219

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

EPA Fines Companies in Iowa and Nebraska for Alleged Vehicle ‘Defeat Device’ Violations

Contact Information: Ben Washburn, 913-551-7364, [email protected]

(Lenexa, Kan., Aug. 31, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assessed civil penalties against two companies for installing or selling “defeat devices” in vehicle engines to render emissions controls inoperative, in violation of the federal Clean Air Act.

“Aftermarket defeat devices are a significant contributor to harmful air pollution,” said Diane Huffman, acting director of EPA Region 7’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. “These illegal practices also impede federal, state, and local efforts to implement air quality standards that protect public health.”

Diesel repair shop Midwest Truck Products LLC of Cantril, Iowa, will pay a $75,000 penalty. South Central Diesel Inc. of Holdrege, Nebraska, an industrial machinery and equipment distribution company, will pay a penalty of $50,954. According to EPA, the companies tampered with vehicle engines and/or sold devices to remove emissions controls for hundreds of customers.

In addition to paying civil penalties, the companies certified that they have stopped disabling vehicle emission controls.

Tampering with vehicle engines, including installation of aftermarket defeat devices intended to bypass manufacturer emissions controls, results in significantly higher releases of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, both of which contribute to serious public health problems in the United States. These problems include premature mortality, aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, aggravation of existing asthma, acute respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis, and decreased lung function. Numerous studies have also linked diesel exhaust to increased incidence of lung cancer.

Stopping aftermarket defeat devices for vehicles and engines is a top priority for EPA. The Agency identified this goal as one of six National Compliance Initiatives in 2019. For more information, please visit: www.epa.gov/enforcement/national-compliance-initiatives.

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EPA Approves Emergency Fuel Waivers for Louisiana and Mississippi

Contact: EPA Press Office ([email protected]) 

DALLAS (Aug. 31, 2021) — In response to state requests, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan has issued emergency fuel waivers for Louisiana and Mississippi, effective immediately.

Administrator Regan determined that extreme and unusual fuel supply circumstances exist in Louisiana and Mississippi as a result of impacts from Hurricane Ida.

EPA issued a waiver of the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) requirements in Louisiana and Mississippi to help improve the fuel supply circumstances caused by Hurricane Ida. The waiver begins August 30, 2021, and ends September 16, 2021. 

The Clean Air Act allows Administrator Regan, in consultation with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm, to waive certain fuel requirements to address emergency fuel shortages.

As required by law, EPA and DOE evaluated the situation and determined that granting a short-term waiver was consistent with the public interest. EPA and DOE are continuing to actively monitor the fuel supply situation, and will act expeditiously if extreme and unusual supply circumstances exist in other areas.

To mitigate any impacts on air quality, the Clean Air Act provides strict criteria for when fuel waivers may be granted, and requires that waivers be limited as much as possible in terms of their geographic scope and duration.

More information about fuel waivers: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/fuel-waivers

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