The US Department of Justice published a statement that Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas Inc. (HCEA) and Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd (HHI) agreed to pay a $47 million civil penalty for violating Title II of the Clean Air Act.
The settlement comes after Hyundai sold heavy construction vehicles with diesel engines that were not certified to applicable emission standards.
According to the statement, in the timeframe of 2012-2015, Hyundai pre-purchased engines that were in line with outdated standards, which then illegally imported, marketed and sold heavy construction equipment with these engines installed, in violation of the Clean Air Act.
Moreover, the company imported, marketed and sold units of equipment in quantities that exceeded their exemption allowance limit under the Transition Program for Equipment Manufacturers (TPEM) program regulations.
Jeffrey Bossert Clark, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division commented
Hyundai put profits above the public’s health and the requirements of the law. We will not tolerate such schemes that skirt the Clean Air Act, designed by Congress to improve air quality.
Also, in 2015, the EPA received a whistleblower tip reporting illegal importation of nonroad diesel equipment that did not meet applicable emission standards. Based upon the information received from the whistleblower, the EPA initiated both criminal and civil investigations. In the criminal proceeding, the court imposed a sentence of, among other things, a $1,950,000 criminal fine.
EPA is holding Hyundai accountable for importing and selling diesel engines and heavy-duty construction vehicles that did not meet Clean Air Act emission standards
… added Susan P. Bodine, EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
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