EPA Presents the 2023 President's Environmental Youth Awards
NEW YORK - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality presented plaques to the 2023 recipients of the President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) program earlier this month. Among the winners is Kaitlyn Culbert, a Toms River High School North rising senior from New Jersey. From New York, Sam Nadol who will be a senior next school year at the Hackley School in Tarrytown, NY received an Honorable Mention award. The award underscores the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
“These student award winners embody the connection between STEM education and community engagement,” said EPA Senior Advisor for Equity and Chief of Staff Olivia Glenn. “I am excited to see what the future has in store for both Kaitlyn and Sam! These PEYA awards are a great recognition of their incredible contributions to date.”
PEYA Winner
Known as the “Bee Girl,” Kaitlyn Culbert is determined to do her part, as both researcher and activist, to help save the honeybees! Working with Rutgers and Stockton Universities, Katie implemented a laboratory project and field study involving Varroa mites (the number one killer of honeybees) and essential oils. She is currently developing a regression analysis to predict Colony Collapse Disorder. Her hope is to one day provide a complete “Honeybee Health System” mobile app that incorporates essential oils and a CCD predictive analysis to combat Varroa.
Equally important as research, is Katie’s commitment to community outreach. With her beekeeping certification in-hand, Katie secured land at Jakes Branch County Park and donations for beehives, equipment, and honeybees to establish the 4-H Busy Bees Beekeeping Club to teach young people about the world’s most important pollinator. Katie also serves as a Rutgers Pollinator Habitat Ambassador.
She is currently serving as the New Jersey Honey Queen and travels around the state of New Jersey as an ambassador to educate the public about the beekeeping and honey industry. She will be a proud senior at Toms River High School this upcoming school year.
PEYA Honorable Mention
Sam Nadol from Tarrytown, NY created a project called Reboot PC, which is an initiative to refurbish and recycle unused and non-working laptops and desktop computers. The goal of his project is to reduce electronic waste (e-waste) and provide free technology resources to those in need.
Sam started this project in 2017 and to date, he has refurbished and given away more than 380 computer systems (worth more than $87,000). Community members and business owners in Sam’s community, in and near Tarrytown, NY, have contributed used and new computer parts for the Reboot PC effort. Sam has collected used parts directly with weekly trips to local landfills and through donations and community green fairs.
The PEYA was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1970 and recognizes outstanding community-level environmental projects by K-12 youth that promote awareness of natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Each year, PEYA honors a variety of local projects developed by students, school classes, summer camp attendees and youth organizations to promote engagement in environmental stewardship and protection.
To read more about the winning PEYA projects, visit: President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA)
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
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“These student award winners embody the connection between STEM education and community engagement,” said EPA Senior Advisor for Equity and Chief of Staff Olivia Glenn. “I am excited to see what the future has in store for both Kaitlyn and Sam! These PEYA awards are a great recognition of their incredible contributions to date.”
PEYA Winner
Known as the “Bee Girl,” Kaitlyn Culbert is determined to do her part, as both researcher and activist, to help save the honeybees! Working with Rutgers and Stockton Universities, Katie implemented a laboratory project and field study involving Varroa mites (the number one killer of honeybees) and essential oils. She is currently developing a regression analysis to predict Colony Collapse Disorder. Her hope is to one day provide a complete “Honeybee Health System” mobile app that incorporates essential oils and a CCD predictive analysis to combat Varroa.
Equally important as research, is Katie’s commitment to community outreach. With her beekeeping certification in-hand, Katie secured land at Jakes Branch County Park and donations for beehives, equipment, and honeybees to establish the 4-H Busy Bees Beekeeping Club to teach young people about the world’s most important pollinator. Katie also serves as a Rutgers Pollinator Habitat Ambassador.
She is currently serving as the New Jersey Honey Queen and travels around the state of New Jersey as an ambassador to educate the public about the beekeeping and honey industry. She will be a proud senior at Toms River High School this upcoming school year.
PEYA Honorable Mention
Sam Nadol from Tarrytown, NY created a project called Reboot PC, which is an initiative to refurbish and recycle unused and non-working laptops and desktop computers. The goal of his project is to reduce electronic waste (e-waste) and provide free technology resources to those in need.
Sam started this project in 2017 and to date, he has refurbished and given away more than 380 computer systems (worth more than $87,000). Community members and business owners in Sam’s community, in and near Tarrytown, NY, have contributed used and new computer parts for the Reboot PC effort. Sam has collected used parts directly with weekly trips to local landfills and through donations and community green fairs.
The PEYA was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1970 and recognizes outstanding community-level environmental projects by K-12 youth that promote awareness of natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Each year, PEYA honors a variety of local projects developed by students, school classes, summer camp attendees and youth organizations to promote engagement in environmental stewardship and protection.
To read more about the winning PEYA projects, visit: President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA)
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
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MSC reconnects India to Asia-USWC string as contract rates tick higher
MSC, which has implemented large-scale network realignments in recent months, halted Indian calls on the Sentosa service in April when it opened a standalone intra-Asia loop.
USDA, USTR Name New Agricultural Trade Advisors
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2023 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai today announced the appointment of 130 new private-sector representatives to serve on seven agricultural trade advisory committees that represent the diversity of U.S. agriculture. The new group of advisors will join the 70 existing committee members whose terms have not expired.
Complete rosters of the committees, including the 130 new appointees and 70 members already serving, are available at:
Complete rosters of the committees, including the 130 new appointees and 70 members already serving, are available at:
Idaho Diesel Parts Companies and Owner Plead Guilty to Selling and Installing Illegal Defeat Devices and Agree to Pay $1 Million
WASHINGTON – Diesel performance parts retailers GDP Tuning LLC and Custom Auto of Rexburg LLC, dba Gorilla Performance, as well as the companies’ owner Barry Pierce, pleaded guilty to criminal charges today in federal court in Pocatello, Idaho, and agreed to pay a total of $1 million in criminal fines. The companies also agreed to implement compliance programs and to not manufacture, sell or install any device that defeats a vehicle’s emissions controls.
GDP Tuning pleaded guilty to an information charging it with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA). Gorilla Performance and Pierce pleaded guilty to an information charging them with violating the CAA by tampering with the monitoring device of an emissions control system of a diesel truck. Under the plea agreement, the companies and Pierce agree to pay a $1 million criminal fine. Pierce also faces up to two years in prison.
“Nearly a decade after EPA began cracking down on illegal defeat devices that violate the Clean Air Act, there is no excuse for companies to be continuing to cheat on vehicle emissions and putting the health of the environment and our communities at risk,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA will continue to pursue criminal charges against companies like Gorilla Performance, which broke the law brazenly and repeatedly, until this egregious criminal activity comes to a stop once and for all.”
“Tampering with vehicles’ on-board diagnostic devices isn’t just a violation of federal law – it’s a major health hazard,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “People are harmed as a direct consequence of the many air pollutants that would be removed by emissions controls systems absent the illegal tampering. We have made progress in curbing harmful emissions, but that progress is undermined by sellers and distributors of defeat devices. We are committed to enforcing the Clean Air Act and holding accountable businesses and individuals that violate federal law.”
“The defendants in this case purposefully violated laws that protect air quality and the overall quality of life for Idahoans, especially vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and those who suffer from respiratory conditions,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho. “My office will continue to partner with law enforcement agencies to prosecute those who seek illegal profits at the expense the public’s health and our shared environment.”
According to court documents, GDP Tuning conspired with Pierce and others to violate the CAA by purchasing and selling tens of thousands of tuning devices and accompanying software which, when used together, tampered with vehicles’ on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems. OBDs normally detect any removal and malfunction of a vehicle’s emissions control equipment and record a diagnostic trouble code which will illuminate a vehicle’s “check engine light.” If the malfunction is not remedied, some vehicles can go into “limp mode,” where the maximum speed is limited to 5 mph as an incentive to have the vehicle repaired.
GDP Tuning bought and sold devices and software that allowed customers to reprogram or “tune” a vehicle’s OBD. This reprogramming tampers with emissions monitoring built into the diagnostic system and allows removal of the vehicle’s emissions control equipment without detection by the OBD. Removing a vehicle’s emissions controls is typically referred to as a “delete” and is accompanied by a “delete tune.”
In addition to GDP Tuning’s national wholesale operation, Gorilla Performance and Pierce operated a retail shop and auto repair facility in Rexburg, Idaho, where customers’ trucks were deleted and tuned.
Diesel exhaust contains a variety of air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide and non-methane hydrocarbons, among other hazardous air pollutants. Factory-standard emissions control equipment dramatically reduces these emissions.
Deleting a diesel truck causes its emissions to increase dramatically. For a fully deleted truck with all emissions equipment removed, EPA testing has quantified the increased emissions as follows: NOx increased 310 times, non-methane hydrocarbons increased 1,400 times, carbon monoxide increased 120 times and PM increased 40 times. EPA’s Air Enforcement Division released a report in November 2020 finding that more than 500,000 diesel pickup trucks in the United States – approximately 15% of U.S. diesel trucks that were originally certified with emissions controls – have been illegally deleted.
Diesel emissions contain multiple hazardous compounds that harm human health and the environment. Diesel emissions have been found to cause and worsen respiratory ailments such as asthma and lung cancer. One study found that 21,000 American deaths annually are attributable to diesel particulate matter. Additionally, exposure to polluted air in utero has been associated with a host of problems with lifelong ramifications including low birth weight, preterm birth, autism, asthma and brain and memory disorders.
Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 8 before U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill for the District of Idaho. Though the corporate defendants agreed to pay $1 million in criminal fines under the plea agreements, they face a maximum fine per count of $500,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain derived from the offense, and Pierce faces up to two years in prison. The defendants’ sentences will be determined at the discretion of the court after application of statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider a number of variables.
The criminal case stemmed from an investigation by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho, Senior Trial Attorney Cassandra Barnum of the Environment and Natural Resources' Environmental Crimes Section and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla Perrin are prosecuting the case.
Stopping the manufacture, sale and installation of illegal delete devices is a priority for EPA. To learn more, visit www.epa.gov/enforcement/national-compliance-initiative-stopping-aftermarket-defeat-devices-vehicles-and-engines.
GDP Tuning pleaded guilty to an information charging it with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA). Gorilla Performance and Pierce pleaded guilty to an information charging them with violating the CAA by tampering with the monitoring device of an emissions control system of a diesel truck. Under the plea agreement, the companies and Pierce agree to pay a $1 million criminal fine. Pierce also faces up to two years in prison.
“Nearly a decade after EPA began cracking down on illegal defeat devices that violate the Clean Air Act, there is no excuse for companies to be continuing to cheat on vehicle emissions and putting the health of the environment and our communities at risk,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA will continue to pursue criminal charges against companies like Gorilla Performance, which broke the law brazenly and repeatedly, until this egregious criminal activity comes to a stop once and for all.”
“Tampering with vehicles’ on-board diagnostic devices isn’t just a violation of federal law – it’s a major health hazard,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “People are harmed as a direct consequence of the many air pollutants that would be removed by emissions controls systems absent the illegal tampering. We have made progress in curbing harmful emissions, but that progress is undermined by sellers and distributors of defeat devices. We are committed to enforcing the Clean Air Act and holding accountable businesses and individuals that violate federal law.”
“The defendants in this case purposefully violated laws that protect air quality and the overall quality of life for Idahoans, especially vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and those who suffer from respiratory conditions,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho. “My office will continue to partner with law enforcement agencies to prosecute those who seek illegal profits at the expense the public’s health and our shared environment.”
According to court documents, GDP Tuning conspired with Pierce and others to violate the CAA by purchasing and selling tens of thousands of tuning devices and accompanying software which, when used together, tampered with vehicles’ on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems. OBDs normally detect any removal and malfunction of a vehicle’s emissions control equipment and record a diagnostic trouble code which will illuminate a vehicle’s “check engine light.” If the malfunction is not remedied, some vehicles can go into “limp mode,” where the maximum speed is limited to 5 mph as an incentive to have the vehicle repaired.
GDP Tuning bought and sold devices and software that allowed customers to reprogram or “tune” a vehicle’s OBD. This reprogramming tampers with emissions monitoring built into the diagnostic system and allows removal of the vehicle’s emissions control equipment without detection by the OBD. Removing a vehicle’s emissions controls is typically referred to as a “delete” and is accompanied by a “delete tune.”
In addition to GDP Tuning’s national wholesale operation, Gorilla Performance and Pierce operated a retail shop and auto repair facility in Rexburg, Idaho, where customers’ trucks were deleted and tuned.
Diesel exhaust contains a variety of air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide and non-methane hydrocarbons, among other hazardous air pollutants. Factory-standard emissions control equipment dramatically reduces these emissions.
Deleting a diesel truck causes its emissions to increase dramatically. For a fully deleted truck with all emissions equipment removed, EPA testing has quantified the increased emissions as follows: NOx increased 310 times, non-methane hydrocarbons increased 1,400 times, carbon monoxide increased 120 times and PM increased 40 times. EPA’s Air Enforcement Division released a report in November 2020 finding that more than 500,000 diesel pickup trucks in the United States – approximately 15% of U.S. diesel trucks that were originally certified with emissions controls – have been illegally deleted.
Diesel emissions contain multiple hazardous compounds that harm human health and the environment. Diesel emissions have been found to cause and worsen respiratory ailments such as asthma and lung cancer. One study found that 21,000 American deaths annually are attributable to diesel particulate matter. Additionally, exposure to polluted air in utero has been associated with a host of problems with lifelong ramifications including low birth weight, preterm birth, autism, asthma and brain and memory disorders.
Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 8 before U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill for the District of Idaho. Though the corporate defendants agreed to pay $1 million in criminal fines under the plea agreements, they face a maximum fine per count of $500,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain derived from the offense, and Pierce faces up to two years in prison. The defendants’ sentences will be determined at the discretion of the court after application of statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider a number of variables.
The criminal case stemmed from an investigation by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho, Senior Trial Attorney Cassandra Barnum of the Environment and Natural Resources' Environmental Crimes Section and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla Perrin are prosecuting the case.
Stopping the manufacture, sale and installation of illegal delete devices is a priority for EPA. To learn more, visit www.epa.gov/enforcement/national-compliance-initiative-stopping-aftermarket-defeat-devices-vehicles-and-engines.
DEQ and EPA lead cleanup of wood preservative release in Sheridan
SHERIDAN (Aug. 23, 2023) - The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the City of Sheridan and Stella-Jones Inc. established a unified command to coordinate the response to a spill of diesel-containing wood preservative at the Stella-Jones facility in Sheridan.
A mixture of diesel and dichlorooctylisothiazolinone (DCOI) spilled from a retort at the Stella-Jones facility at 7 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. The preservative is approximately 97 percent diesel and 3 percent DCOI. DEQ and EPA are leading the response efforts and Stella-Jones responded by hiring a contractor to isolate the preservative and commence the cleanup activities.
The cause of the release is under investigation, and the facility will not operate the wood treating vessels until the investigation is concluded. There is no current threat to the nearby residents and no injuries have been reported. Based on Oregon Health Authority's review of DCOI, toxicologists do not expect DCOI to harm the health of on-site workers or community members passing near the site. Odors may be noticeable due to components of diesel that evaporate into the air.
Water, wastewater/sewer, storm water, and air quality are all being monitored by the EPA, DEQ, and the City in consultation with Stella-Jones and their hired clean-up crew and environmental management team.
The retort, or a high-pressure and high-temperature cylindrical vessel used to treat wood, held 24,000 gallons of the preservative. Secondary containment, or infrastructure at the facility designed to capture releases, stopped the spread of most of the spill. But an estimated 2,400 gallons either released past secondary containment or entered the City of Sheridan’s sewer system. Of the estimated 2,400 gallons of preservative which escaped containment, most extended onto an asphalt pad and gravel at the facility, which cleanup crews are remediating.
The City is working with DEQ, EPA and Stella-Jones to secure and protect utilities. The City of Sheridan plans on posting regular updates to its website, Facebook page as well as the outdoor bulletin board at City Hall and the indoor bulletin board at the Sheridan Library.
The Stella-Jones facility in Sheridan produces treated wood poles for electrical utilities and telecommunication companies. The facility is located at 22125 SW Rock Creek Road in Sheridan.
Contacts
DEQ - Dylan Darling, 541-600-6119, dylan.darling@deq.oregon.gov
U.S. EPA - Beth Clemons, 206-473-7106, clemons.beth@epa.gov
City of Sheridan - Heidi Bell, 503-843-2347, hbell@cityofsheridanor.com
Stella-Jones - Stephanie Corrente, 514-934-8666, communications@stella-jones.com
A mixture of diesel and dichlorooctylisothiazolinone (DCOI) spilled from a retort at the Stella-Jones facility at 7 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. The preservative is approximately 97 percent diesel and 3 percent DCOI. DEQ and EPA are leading the response efforts and Stella-Jones responded by hiring a contractor to isolate the preservative and commence the cleanup activities.
The cause of the release is under investigation, and the facility will not operate the wood treating vessels until the investigation is concluded. There is no current threat to the nearby residents and no injuries have been reported. Based on Oregon Health Authority's review of DCOI, toxicologists do not expect DCOI to harm the health of on-site workers or community members passing near the site. Odors may be noticeable due to components of diesel that evaporate into the air.
Water, wastewater/sewer, storm water, and air quality are all being monitored by the EPA, DEQ, and the City in consultation with Stella-Jones and their hired clean-up crew and environmental management team.
The retort, or a high-pressure and high-temperature cylindrical vessel used to treat wood, held 24,000 gallons of the preservative. Secondary containment, or infrastructure at the facility designed to capture releases, stopped the spread of most of the spill. But an estimated 2,400 gallons either released past secondary containment or entered the City of Sheridan’s sewer system. Of the estimated 2,400 gallons of preservative which escaped containment, most extended onto an asphalt pad and gravel at the facility, which cleanup crews are remediating.
The City is working with DEQ, EPA and Stella-Jones to secure and protect utilities. The City of Sheridan plans on posting regular updates to its website, Facebook page as well as the outdoor bulletin board at City Hall and the indoor bulletin board at the Sheridan Library.
The Stella-Jones facility in Sheridan produces treated wood poles for electrical utilities and telecommunication companies. The facility is located at 22125 SW Rock Creek Road in Sheridan.
Contacts
DEQ - Dylan Darling, 541-600-6119, dylan.darling@deq.oregon.gov
U.S. EPA - Beth Clemons, 206-473-7106, clemons.beth@epa.gov
City of Sheridan - Heidi Bell, 503-843-2347, hbell@cityofsheridanor.com
Stella-Jones - Stephanie Corrente, 514-934-8666, communications@stella-jones.com
EPA Cracks Down on Companies in California, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington State for Selling Illegal Auto Parts that Avoid Pollution Controls
SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a series of settlements today with companies based in California, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington state that had illegally sold “defeat device” products throughout the United States that altered vehicle emissions control systems. These products are designed to “defeat” emissions controls, enabling increased emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter, both of which contribute to serious public health issues. Distribution and sale of defeat devices are violations of the Clean Air Act.
“Defeat devices enable more air pollution from vehicles to the detriment of Americans’ health, and EPA is vigilant about holding accountable the entities that sell these illegal products,” said Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “These settlements demonstrate EPA’s commitment to enforcing critical environmental laws that protect clean air and public health.”
Settlement information:
Diamond Eye Manufacturing, Inc. (Athena, Ore.) sold 33,134 parts between 2017 and 2019 that allowed for the removal of a vehicle’s emission control components. As conditions of a settlement with EPA, Diamond Eye confirmed that it has destroyed its inventory of illegal parts and notified its customers of the settlement and that the company no longer provides technical support or honors warranty claims for the illegal parts. The company will post on its website for eight weeks an announcement of the settlement and pay a $265,000 penalty.
Competition Specialties, Inc. (Auburn, Wash.) sold 227 parts or components between 2018 and 2020 that allowed for the removal of a vehicle’s emission control components. The company paid a penalty of $225,368.
Maxon Auto Corp. (Chino, Calif.) sold 867 parts or components between 2018 and 2021 that allowed for the removal of a vehicle’s emission control components. The company paid a penalty of $120,000.
Maxon Performance Parts Corp. (Pennsauken, N.J.) sold 148 parts or components between 2019 and 2021 that allowed for the removal of a vehicle’s emission control components. The company paid a penalty of $30,000.
Remus Technology, Inc. (Emeryville, Calif.) sold over 900 aftermarket exhaust systems for motor vehicles from 2017 to 2018 that required the removal of catalytic converters. The company paid a $40,000 penalty.
SHJY Trading Corp. (Walnut, Calif.) sold 1,547 parts or components between 2018 and 2021 that allowed for the removal of a vehicle’s emission control components. The company paid a penalty of $15,000.
WX Trading Corp. (Walnut, Calif.) sold 1,391 parts or components between 2018 and 2021 that allowed for the removal of a vehicle’s emission control components. The company paid a penalty of $15,000.
Except for Competition Specialties, Inc., the companies each paid or will pay a reduced penalty because of a demonstrated inability to pay a higher amount.
Stopping the sale of aftermarket defeat devices for vehicles and engines is one of EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives. According to a study by EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, known sales of defeat devices for certain diesel trucks after 2009 and before 2020 resulted in more than 570,000 tons of excess NOx and 5,000 tons of excess particulate matter over the lifetime of the trucks.
The Clean Air Act authorizes the EPA to set standards for emissions from a variety of types of vehicles and engines. Required emission controls often include filters and catalysts installed in the vehicles or engines’ exhaust systems, as well as calibrations that manage fueling strategy and other operations in the engines themselves. Federal law prohibits tampering with emissions controls, as well as manufacturing, selling, and installing aftermarket devices intended to defeat those controls.
The EPA has found numerous companies and individuals that have manufactured and sold both hardware and software specifically designed to defeat required emissions controls on vehicles and engines used on public roads as well as on nonroad vehicles and engines. Illegally modified vehicles and engines contribute substantial excess pollution that harms public health and impedes efforts by the EPA, tribes, states, and local agencies to plan for and attain air quality standards.
On August 1, Roseville, Calif.-based Sinister Mfg. Company, Inc., pleaded guilty to criminal charges in federal court in Sacramento, California, and agreed to pay a total of $1 million in criminal fines and civil penalties. The company also agreed to implement a compliance program and to not manufacture, sell or install any device that defeats a vehicle’s emissions controls. Additionally, an official for Fiat Chrysler corporation pled guilty to conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act by misrepresenting information on vehicle emissions, fuel efficiency and compliance with U.S. emission standards.
Read more information about EPA’s work to stop the sale of defeat devices.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on X.
“Defeat devices enable more air pollution from vehicles to the detriment of Americans’ health, and EPA is vigilant about holding accountable the entities that sell these illegal products,” said Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “These settlements demonstrate EPA’s commitment to enforcing critical environmental laws that protect clean air and public health.”
Settlement information:
Diamond Eye Manufacturing, Inc. (Athena, Ore.) sold 33,134 parts between 2017 and 2019 that allowed for the removal of a vehicle’s emission control components. As conditions of a settlement with EPA, Diamond Eye confirmed that it has destroyed its inventory of illegal parts and notified its customers of the settlement and that the company no longer provides technical support or honors warranty claims for the illegal parts. The company will post on its website for eight weeks an announcement of the settlement and pay a $265,000 penalty.
Competition Specialties, Inc. (Auburn, Wash.) sold 227 parts or components between 2018 and 2020 that allowed for the removal of a vehicle’s emission control components. The company paid a penalty of $225,368.
Maxon Auto Corp. (Chino, Calif.) sold 867 parts or components between 2018 and 2021 that allowed for the removal of a vehicle’s emission control components. The company paid a penalty of $120,000.
Maxon Performance Parts Corp. (Pennsauken, N.J.) sold 148 parts or components between 2019 and 2021 that allowed for the removal of a vehicle’s emission control components. The company paid a penalty of $30,000.
Remus Technology, Inc. (Emeryville, Calif.) sold over 900 aftermarket exhaust systems for motor vehicles from 2017 to 2018 that required the removal of catalytic converters. The company paid a $40,000 penalty.
SHJY Trading Corp. (Walnut, Calif.) sold 1,547 parts or components between 2018 and 2021 that allowed for the removal of a vehicle’s emission control components. The company paid a penalty of $15,000.
WX Trading Corp. (Walnut, Calif.) sold 1,391 parts or components between 2018 and 2021 that allowed for the removal of a vehicle’s emission control components. The company paid a penalty of $15,000.
Except for Competition Specialties, Inc., the companies each paid or will pay a reduced penalty because of a demonstrated inability to pay a higher amount.
Stopping the sale of aftermarket defeat devices for vehicles and engines is one of EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives. According to a study by EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, known sales of defeat devices for certain diesel trucks after 2009 and before 2020 resulted in more than 570,000 tons of excess NOx and 5,000 tons of excess particulate matter over the lifetime of the trucks.
The Clean Air Act authorizes the EPA to set standards for emissions from a variety of types of vehicles and engines. Required emission controls often include filters and catalysts installed in the vehicles or engines’ exhaust systems, as well as calibrations that manage fueling strategy and other operations in the engines themselves. Federal law prohibits tampering with emissions controls, as well as manufacturing, selling, and installing aftermarket devices intended to defeat those controls.
The EPA has found numerous companies and individuals that have manufactured and sold both hardware and software specifically designed to defeat required emissions controls on vehicles and engines used on public roads as well as on nonroad vehicles and engines. Illegally modified vehicles and engines contribute substantial excess pollution that harms public health and impedes efforts by the EPA, tribes, states, and local agencies to plan for and attain air quality standards.
On August 1, Roseville, Calif.-based Sinister Mfg. Company, Inc., pleaded guilty to criminal charges in federal court in Sacramento, California, and agreed to pay a total of $1 million in criminal fines and civil penalties. The company also agreed to implement a compliance program and to not manufacture, sell or install any device that defeats a vehicle’s emissions controls. Additionally, an official for Fiat Chrysler corporation pled guilty to conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act by misrepresenting information on vehicle emissions, fuel efficiency and compliance with U.S. emission standards.
Read more information about EPA’s work to stop the sale of defeat devices.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on X.
EPA Region 7 Presents $500K Check to City of St. Louis, Missouri, After Selection for Brownfields Grant
LENEXA, KAN. (AUG. 24, 2023) – Today, EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister presented a $500,000 ceremonial check to the Community Development Administration (CDA) of St. Louis, Missouri, as a Brownfields Assessment Grant selectee.
McCollister was joined by St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and CDA Executive Director Nahuel Fefer.
The city plans to utilize the Brownfields Assessment Grant funding for community-wide actions, which include conducting 32 Phase I and 12 Phase II environmental site assessments, developing seven cleanup plans, and providing staff training.
The grant focuses on the neighborhoods of Fountain Park, Greater Ville, The Ville, Jeff Vanderlou, St. Louis Place, College Hill, Fairground Neighborhood, Wells Goodfellow, Walnut Park East, Hamilton Heights, and Chouteau’s Landing.
These 11 neighborhoods, out of a total 79 in St. Louis, represent only 10% of the total geographic area of the city, but account for approximately 53% of the total vacancy. Environmental site assessments will focus on vacant buildings – including abandoned corner gas stations – which depress home values and lead to further vacancy.
“EPA Region 7 has worked with many organizations in the St. Louis area through our Brownfields Program and we are proud to continue these efforts through a new partnership with the City of St. Louis,” McCollister said. “Together, EPA and St. Louis are creating a cleaner and more robust economy for one of our largest cities here in America’s heartland.”
“Cleaning up contaminated properties helps protect families while creating new opportunities for our neighborhoods,” Jones said. “St. Louis appreciates President Biden and the EPA for delivering these resources to our city.”
“Investments in our communities only make us stronger,” said U.S. Representative Cori Bush (MO-1). “That is why I am thrilled that the City of St. Louis is receiving $500,000 from the EPA for community and environmental cleanup efforts in the city. This funding will focus on assessing environmental cleanup needs in St. Louis and revitalizing Chouteau’s Landing and other neighborhoods in the northern part of the city. This funding is a step toward environmental justice and bolstering the well-being of our communities.”
“This EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant signifies the City of St. Louis - Community Development Administration's commitment to fostering a vibrant and sustainable St. Louis," Fefer said. "Cleaning up these sites not only revitalizes the city's physical landscape, but also creates opportunities for attracting businesses and strengthening neighborhoods to ensure the health and well-being of our neighbors.”
Background
EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites. EPA anticipates making all the recently announced awards, once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.37 billion in grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return dilapidated properties to productive reuse. EPA’s investments in addressing brownfield sites have leveraged over $36 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding has leveraged nearly 260,000 jobs from both public and private sources.
Communities that previously received Brownfields Grants used these resources to fund assessments and cleanups of brownfields, and successfully leveraged an average of 10.6 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfields Grant funds spent and $19.78 for every dollar.
Learn more about Brownfields Grants
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields Program
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McCollister was joined by St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and CDA Executive Director Nahuel Fefer.
The city plans to utilize the Brownfields Assessment Grant funding for community-wide actions, which include conducting 32 Phase I and 12 Phase II environmental site assessments, developing seven cleanup plans, and providing staff training.
The grant focuses on the neighborhoods of Fountain Park, Greater Ville, The Ville, Jeff Vanderlou, St. Louis Place, College Hill, Fairground Neighborhood, Wells Goodfellow, Walnut Park East, Hamilton Heights, and Chouteau’s Landing.
These 11 neighborhoods, out of a total 79 in St. Louis, represent only 10% of the total geographic area of the city, but account for approximately 53% of the total vacancy. Environmental site assessments will focus on vacant buildings – including abandoned corner gas stations – which depress home values and lead to further vacancy.
“EPA Region 7 has worked with many organizations in the St. Louis area through our Brownfields Program and we are proud to continue these efforts through a new partnership with the City of St. Louis,” McCollister said. “Together, EPA and St. Louis are creating a cleaner and more robust economy for one of our largest cities here in America’s heartland.”
“Cleaning up contaminated properties helps protect families while creating new opportunities for our neighborhoods,” Jones said. “St. Louis appreciates President Biden and the EPA for delivering these resources to our city.”
“Investments in our communities only make us stronger,” said U.S. Representative Cori Bush (MO-1). “That is why I am thrilled that the City of St. Louis is receiving $500,000 from the EPA for community and environmental cleanup efforts in the city. This funding will focus on assessing environmental cleanup needs in St. Louis and revitalizing Chouteau’s Landing and other neighborhoods in the northern part of the city. This funding is a step toward environmental justice and bolstering the well-being of our communities.”
“This EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant signifies the City of St. Louis - Community Development Administration's commitment to fostering a vibrant and sustainable St. Louis," Fefer said. "Cleaning up these sites not only revitalizes the city's physical landscape, but also creates opportunities for attracting businesses and strengthening neighborhoods to ensure the health and well-being of our neighbors.”
Background
EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites. EPA anticipates making all the recently announced awards, once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.37 billion in grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return dilapidated properties to productive reuse. EPA’s investments in addressing brownfield sites have leveraged over $36 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding has leveraged nearly 260,000 jobs from both public and private sources.
Communities that previously received Brownfields Grants used these resources to fund assessments and cleanups of brownfields, and successfully leveraged an average of 10.6 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfields Grant funds spent and $19.78 for every dollar.
Learn more about Brownfields Grants
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields Program
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EPA Assistant Administrator Jane Nishida Renews Commitment to Continue Environmental Cooperation with Newly Established Taiwan Ministry of Environment
WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator Jane Nishida was in Taipei, Taiwan, from August 21-22, to recommit to extending environmental cooperation between EPA and Taiwan. Assistant Administrator Nishida joined former Taiwan Deputy Minister Ya-Fen Wang in providing keynote remarks for an event celebrating the 30th anniversary of EPA’s environmental cooperation with Taiwan, and nearly a decade of multilateral cooperation through the U.S. – Taiwan International Environmental Partnership (IEP).
“As we celebrate 30 years of partnership and the successes we have achieved together through IEP, it is important for us to identify future opportunities to strengthen this strong partnership and highlight Taiwan’s global environmental leadership,” said Jane Nishida, Assistant Administrator for International and Tribal Affairs. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with Taiwan to address critical environmental issues and build resilient communities through new and expanded programs on climate change and other priority challenges.”
The United States and Taiwan first started environmental cooperation in 1993 to exchange experiences in addressing air pollution, water quality, chemical safety, and other environmental challenges. Recognizing that pollution knows no borders and that lessons learned should be shared regionally, the IEP was launched in 2014 under the auspices of American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO).
Since then, EPA and the Taiwan Ministry of Environment have worked with more than 70 partners, including national and local governments, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and academia, in the Asia-Pacific region and globally to protect human health and the environment. Specifically, the IEP has established new and diverse networks of environmental practitioners who have been working together on a regional and global level to address environmental issues such as air quality, children's health, electronic waste management, environmental education, law enforcement, mercury monitoring, and site remediation.
While in Taiwan, Assistant Administrator Nishida delivered congratulatory remarks during the inauguration ceremony commemorating Taiwan EPA’s elevation to the Taiwan Ministry of the Environment. Assistant Administrator Nishida also delivered opening remarks for the Global Environmental Education Partnership Asia-Pacific Research Center’s (GEEP APRC) International Symposium and met with senior environmental experts and leading Taiwan partners.
“As we celebrate 30 years of partnership and the successes we have achieved together through IEP, it is important for us to identify future opportunities to strengthen this strong partnership and highlight Taiwan’s global environmental leadership,” said Jane Nishida, Assistant Administrator for International and Tribal Affairs. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with Taiwan to address critical environmental issues and build resilient communities through new and expanded programs on climate change and other priority challenges.”
The United States and Taiwan first started environmental cooperation in 1993 to exchange experiences in addressing air pollution, water quality, chemical safety, and other environmental challenges. Recognizing that pollution knows no borders and that lessons learned should be shared regionally, the IEP was launched in 2014 under the auspices of American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO).
Since then, EPA and the Taiwan Ministry of Environment have worked with more than 70 partners, including national and local governments, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and academia, in the Asia-Pacific region and globally to protect human health and the environment. Specifically, the IEP has established new and diverse networks of environmental practitioners who have been working together on a regional and global level to address environmental issues such as air quality, children's health, electronic waste management, environmental education, law enforcement, mercury monitoring, and site remediation.
While in Taiwan, Assistant Administrator Nishida delivered congratulatory remarks during the inauguration ceremony commemorating Taiwan EPA’s elevation to the Taiwan Ministry of the Environment. Assistant Administrator Nishida also delivered opening remarks for the Global Environmental Education Partnership Asia-Pacific Research Center’s (GEEP APRC) International Symposium and met with senior environmental experts and leading Taiwan partners.