Diesel engine maker Cummins has agreed to pay $1.675 billion to settle a civil lawsuit it filed against the Biden administration and the state of California for allegedly “rigging” emissions regulations, according to a report Wednesday. press release From the Ministry of Justice.
According to the Department of Justice, the settlement agreement is the largest ever for violations of the Clean Air Act and the second largest environmental penalty.
Cummins was accused of violating the Clean Air Act and California state law by installing “emission control devices on hundreds of thousands of engines.” Defeat devices are parts or software that allow a vehicle to avoid emissions testing requirements.
In addition to the civil penalty, Cummins also agreed to invest more than $325 million to repair the defeat device. Approximately 630,000 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks will be recalled to replace engine control software. Manufacturer recalls include software updates only.
“Cummins also extends warranties on certain parts of repaired vehicles, funds and implements projects to reduce excess ozone-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) emitted from vehicles, and reduces future emissions.” We will adopt new internal procedures designed to prevent fraud. In total, the settlements are worth more than $2 billion,” the Department of Justice reported.
In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency warned automakers that it would begin conducting special tests to detect potentially ineffective devices.
Cummins' override devices “artificially reduced the effectiveness of emissions controls and increased NOx emissions during normal operation outside standard test conditions,” the Justice Department alleged.
As part of the settlement agreement, Cummins must pay the California Air Resources Board “approximately $175 million to fund mitigation activities and projects that reduce California's NOx emissions through the CARB Mitigation Program.” be.
The company was also ordered to offset NOx emissions by working with railroad locomotive owners to replace 27 high-emission diesel engines with “new low-emission diesel or electric engines.” Cummins also plans to fund 50 of his projects to reduce idle time on diesel-powered switch locomotives.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland reaffirmed the Department of Justice's commitment to “strongly enforcing environmental laws that protect Americans from harmful pollutants.”
“This historic agreement… “The Department of Justice has made clear that it is aggressive in its efforts to hold people accountable for profit at the expense of people's health and safety,” Garland said.
Cummins denies any wrongdoing.
“Today marks another step towards the conclusion of a four-year review,” Cummins said. fox news digital report.
The company pointed out that comment The company announced the settlement in December, saying, “As Mr. Cummins said at the time, we are committed to solving this long-standing problem and providing certainty as we continue to fulfill our mission to power a more prosperous world. I'm looking forward to getting it,” he added.
“We are advancing Cummins' Destination Zero strategy, our vision for achieving a zero-emissions future, with the aim of driving economic growth while decarbonizing and reducing the use of global resources. We continue to work on what we can do.”
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