The US Justice Department has fined an Indiana-based engine maker $1.675 billion in a settlement that says the company violated the federal Clean Air Act.
Management claims that Cummins Inc. Devices installed that can bypass emissions sensors on 630,000 RAM pickup truck engines, According to a press release on Friday. The huge financial penalty is the largest violation ever since the law was passed in 1963 to protect the country's air quality.
“The types of devices we allege Cummins installed in its engines to circumvent federal environmental laws have a significant and harmful impact on people’s health and safety,” Attorney General Merrick P. Garland wrote, saying Cummins engines caused excessive emissions of nitrogen oxides. , which can cause asthma and respiratory infections.
The company agreed to pay a fine of $1.675 billion to the United States and the state of California to settle the claims, according to the Department of Justice. This penalty is the second largest environmental penalty in the country's history, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Cummins Inc. spokesman John Mills said the company does not admit to wrongdoing and says no one at the company acted in bad faith. In an email to USA TODAY.
“The company has fully cooperated with the relevant regulators, has already addressed many of the issues involved, and looks forward to obtaining certainty when it concludes this lengthy matter,” a press release from the company said.
What Justice Department is penalizing Cummins Inc. to?
Cummins Inc. allegedly installed defeat devices on the engines of hundreds of thousands of 2013 to 2019 RAM 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks, according to the Department of Justice. The Justice Department also says the company installed defeat devices on the engines of 330,000 new RAM pickup trucks.
Defeat devices are hardware or software used in vehicles to cheat air pollution tests or bypass emissions controls.
The company said it has since recalled those trucks. It has also “begun recalls of model years 2013 through 2018 RAM 2500 and 3500 trucks and previously accrued a total of $59 million in estimated costs to implement these and other related recalls,” according to a press release from the company on Friday.
Health effects of vehicle pollution
According to the US Environmental Protection AgencyHigh emissions of nitrogen oxides, or vehicle pollutants, can reach the air from vehicle emissions and fuel burning.
According to the agency, those emissions “can irritate the human respiratory bronchial tubes.”
According to the agency, “Such short-term exposure can exacerbate respiratory diseases, especially asthma, resulting in respiratory symptoms (such as coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing), hospitalization, and visits to emergency rooms.” “Longer exposure to elevated concentrations of NO2 “It may contribute to the development of asthma and may increase susceptibility to respiratory infections.”
What is the Clean Air Act?
The Clean Air Act is a federal law designed to “protect and improve the nation's air quality and stratospheric ozone layer.” According to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Congress first passed the law in 1963 and many major and minor changes have been made to it since its inception. The EPA's role is to uphold the law.
Communities facing air pollution You could get relief as the EPA proposes new rules on chemical plants
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