Washington, D.C. — With the investigation into Volkswagen’s alleged use of a cheat device to circumvent Clean Air Act regulations continuing apace, the Center for American Progress has released a report laying out how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, could mitigate the damage caused by the vehicles’ extra pollution and deter future violations. The report offers a three-pronged approach to resolving the case against Volkswagen.
“The EPA and state regulators have accused Volkswagen of deceiving the public and government regulators for years and allowing certain diesel-fueled vehicles to emit illegal levels of pollution into the atmosphere,” said Greg Dotson, CAP Vice President for Energy Policy. “The government’s response should be commensurate with this unprecedented violation and go beyond a recall of the defective vehicles. The EPA should require Volkswagen to offset the extra pollution released by these vehicles by investing in projects to retrofit dirty diesel engines and expedite the electrification of the transportation sector.”
The three-pronged approach includes requiring Volkswagen to mitigate past health and environmental damage by replacing or retrofitting diesel engines; assessing significant financial penalties to dissuade any other company from using defeat devices; and requiring Volkswagen to develop a significant Supplemental Environmental Project aimed at reducing pollution from on-road vehicles and/or investing in future transportation technology, including electric vehicles. This approach will reduce harmful air pollution and help accelerate the nation’s move toward cleaner, more efficient transportation infrastructure.
Click here to read the report.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, contact Tom Caiazza at [email protected] or 202.481.7141.