[REPORT]
EPA halts imports of Chinese ATVs in the USA
Chinese ATV manufacturers lost permission to import after the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States found false or incomplete data certificates of compliance
Chinese off-road cycle and all-terrain vehicle manufacturers hit a big pothole in July as the Environmental Protection Agency withdrew permission to import and sell up to 200,000 such vehicles in the USA because they may pollute more than had been claimed.
After a lengthy investigation, the American agency said it had found that certifications of compliance with US air-quality rules submitted in 2006 and 2007 actually "contained false or incomplete information" about pollution levels from the vehicles. This is the first time the agency has ever voided certificates that had already been issued. The certificates had been issued to the US subsidiaries of four of China’s largest ATV manufacturers: Hensim USA (City of Industry, Calif.); Loncin USA (Hayward, Calif.); Peace Industry Group (Norcross, Ga.); and Seaseng (Pomona, Calif.).
The certificates were issued, based on applications compiled by MotorScience Enterprise, a consultant to the companies, the agency said in a statement. The EPA also said it believes "MotorScience Enterprise intentionally submitted false or incomplete emissions information."
EPA said it is considering enforcement action that "could lead to significant financial penalties against the businesses that manufactured or imported these types of recreational vehicles." While the move affects manufacturers and retailers, it does not affect consumers who have already purchased the models involved, the agency said. "A consumer who owns a model that was covered by these voided certificates is not responsible for these companies’ wrongdoing and can continue to use the vehicle," Cathy Milbourn, an EPA spokeswoman.
The EPA is considering enforcement actions under the Clean Air Act, "which could lead to significant financial penalties against the businesses that manufactured or imported these types of recreational vehicles." Since, according to EPA, the information contained in the conformity of production certificates was falsified, the documentation has been voided and the permission to import these vehicles withdrawn. Recreational vehicles can emit substantially more volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, and other pollutants than permitted under EPA standards unless they have proper controls, the agency noted.
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IMMA'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE DECADE OF ACTION FOR ROAD SAFETY