Posted on 12/22/2023 12:37:23 PM PST by Yo-Yo
It’s the largest Clean Air Act violation settlement in history.
Diesel engine manufacturer Cummins has agreed to settle an accused violation of the Clean Air Act for a record $1.675 billion. The company was accused of installing defeat devices and other "undisclosed" emissions equipment on almost a million engines used in Ram pickups, allowing the release of thousands of tons of harmful nitric oxides.
The settlement, announced Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice, concerns the emissions equipment used on 960,000 diesel engines used on Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty pickups between model years 2013 and 2023. They share the 6.7-liter Cummins ISB turbo inline-six, 630,000 of which were fitted with defeat devices through 2019. A further 330,000 built from 2019 onward were also fitted with "undisclosed auxiliary emission control devices" that are also part of the settlement.
These emissions equipment setups allowed the dissemination, rather than controlled burn, of nitric oxides, or NOX. These compounds play a role in forming acid rain and smog in the environment, and can exacerbate symptoms of asthma, if not cause it outright over a long period. NOX is also linked to a variety of other potentially fatal health problems.
"Vulnerable communities are more likely to reside near highways where these harmful emissions are concentrated, making this agreement critical to advancing our environmental justice agenda," remarked EPA Administrator Michael Regan to Reuters. The publication reports the settlement to be the biggest fine ever issued under the Clean Air Act, and the second-largest environmental penalty deal in history. It would seem to be second only to the mammoth BP Deepwater Horizon settlement, which cost nearly $21 billion.
Cummins, which also supplies Daimler North America and Paccar, said it has been conducting an "internal review" of the situation since 2019. It says it has recalled some affected trucks at the cost of $58 million, and that it expects the settlement to cost if $2.04 billion total. Cummins says it "has seen no evidence that anyone acted in bad faith and does not admit wrongdoing."
However, Cummins' statement also indicates the settlement does not meaningfully impact its business prospects. The company says it "is in a strong financial position with existing liquidity and access to capital to satisfy obligations associated with the settlements, support ongoing operations, and execute its growth strategy." In other words, the fine might hurt its bottom line, but in the end it'll roll right off. It's sometimes said that crimes punishable by fines are only crimes for the poor. Without evidence that Cummins' business has been truly harmed as a consequence of its actions here, it's hard to read things any other way.
Is it really ?
DOJ picks the venue, so they can have the jury pool as well as the judge pool that they want.
“the fix” in Biden’s American is “10% for the Big Guy”....
Volkswagen recalled all the affected vehicles and bought them.
Even Ayn Rand could not have conceived of a tyranny as dark as this current one...
“Either Santa Claus is real, or millions of adults are in on a conspiracy to fool children around the world...”
Ha! Yea, yea, I know what you are saying.
My gut reaction is that this is a shakedown and harassment. More leftist government lawfare.
Yes, mechanically the Dodge/Cummins is surely the best.
But the issue is emissions equipment problems, which is hurting them all.
Current diesel emissions reminds me of the hodge podge that manufacturers were doing in the 1970’s for gasoline engines.
So what’s the harm? It’s like taking a leak in the Atlantic. Cummins must be a republican company.
naa, i was being sarcastic since it the same setup,,, 8^)
Diesel engine manufacturer Cummins has been blackmailed for a record $1.675 billion. That kind of money will be passed down to the end user buyer. The price of a HD truck will go way up to pay for this crap.
National Socialism in action.
So ... no one from the CARB, the EPA or DOT was paying attention to the testing for these trucks for a decade?
After all, they were the ones that gave them a passing grade.
Suspect that the gov changed the rules and made them retroactive.
In short, a shakedown.
Like the fine they just put on Southwest Airlines.
All this emissions crap is just that ... crap.
If everyone were driving Pete 379s with 3406E engines the air would still be just fine.
All this nonsense is gov’t control of production, it should be ignored.
“Cummins must be a republican company.”
Cummins is one of the top DEI companies out there. They must have thought they would get a special pass or something.
I learn something.
I received my recall notice from FCA today. The fix is a software update to the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). Being as I live in the Socialist Republic of Kalifornia, this will be a mandatory recall for me. The state will require proof of completion of this recall for me to renew my registration. I don't think other states will force compliance.
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