The U.S. Department of Justice is levying a $1.675 billion penalty on an Indiana-based engine maker in a settlement that alleges the company violated the federal Clean Air Act.
The department claims Cummins Inc. installed devices that can bypass emissions sensors on 630,000 RAM pickup truck engines, according to a news release Friday. The huge fine is the largest violation ever since the passage of the country's Air Quality Protection Act in 1963.
“The types of devices that we allege Cummins installed in its engines to circumvent federal environmental laws have significant and harmful effects on people’s health and safety,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland wrote. He said that Cummins' engines produced excessive nitrogen oxide emissions, which can cause asthma and respiratory infections.
According to the Justice Department, the company agreed to pay the $1.675 billion penalty to the United States and the state of California to settle the claims. According to the Justice Department, the sentence is the second highest environmental penalty in the country's history.
The company admits no wrongdoing and says no one at the company acted in bad faith, Jon Mills, a spokesman for Cummins Inc., said in an email to USA TODAY.
“The company has cooperated fully with relevant regulatory authorities, has already addressed many of the related issues, and looks forward to achieving certainty as this protracted matter is finalized,” the company said in a press release.
What is the Justice Department penalizing Cummins Inc. for?
According to the Justice Department, 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 Justice Department, the company also installed defeat devices on the engines of 330,000 newer RAM pickup trucks.
Defeat devices are hardware or software used in vehicles to cheat air pollution tests or evade emissions controls.
The company said it has since recalled those trucks. According to a company press release Friday, the company has also “initiated a recall of the 2013 through 2018 model year RAM 2500 and 3500 trucks and previously accrued a total of $59 million for the estimated costs of conducting these and other related recalls.” .”
Effects of vehicle pollution on health
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, vehicle emissions and fuel combustion can release high levels of nitrogen oxide emissions, or vehicle pollution, into the air.
These emissions “may irritate the airways of the human respiratory system,” the agency said.
“Such exposures over short periods of time can aggravate respiratory diseases, particularly asthma, and lead to respiratory symptoms (such as coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing), hospitalizations, and emergency room visits,” the agency said. “Prolonged exposure to elevated NO2 concentrations may contribute to the development of asthma and potentially 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 the stratospheric ozone layer,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Congress first passed the law in 1963, and several major and minor changes have been made to it since its inception. It is the job of the Environmental Protection Agency to comply with the law.
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Contact Kayla Jimenez at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @kaylajjimenez.