Manitowoc Company Inc., a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty cranes, has agreed to pay a $42.6 million civil penalty to settle allegations of violating the Clean Air Act (CAA). The company, along with its subsidiaries Grove U.S. L.L.C. and Manitowoc Crane Group Germany GMBH, was accused of importing and selling heavy nonroad cranes with diesel engines that failed to meet federal emission standards.
The settlement resolves claims that Manitowoc sold at least 1,032 cranes between 2014 and 2018, all equipped with diesel engines that were not certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to meet Clean Air Act mobile source emission standards. These noncompliant engines released excessive levels of carcinogenic diesel exhaust, including nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter, contributing to harmful air pollution.
“Manitowoc’s sale and importation of cranes with uncertified engines violated Clean Air Act requirements designed to protect public health from harmful diesel emissions,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement highlights our commitment to holding violators accountable and will lead to tangible improvements in air quality.”
As part of the settlement, Manitowoc has agreed to a mitigation project aimed at reducing emissions in the Sparrows Point area of Maryland, near the Port of Baltimore, where the company had sold cranes with the illegal engines. The project will retrofit a short-line locomotive engine, replacing its outdated engine with a modern one equipped with advanced emission controls. This retrofit is expected to improve air quality along a 70-mile stretch of railway, benefiting underserved and overburdened communities in the region.
EPA Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann emphasized the seriousness of the violation, noting that “diesel exhaust is one of the dirtiest forms of air pollution and is linked to serious health conditions, including asthma and respiratory illness.” Uhlmann also stressed that this settlement serves as a warning to companies that fail to comply with Clean Air Act regulations.
The settlement resolves multiple Clean Air Act violations, including failure to meet labeling, bonding, and reporting requirements. Manitowoc’s illegal sale of uncertified diesel engines has been a longstanding issue, with the company continuing to import and sell noncompliant engines despite prior warnings from the EPA.
This agreement underscores the Justice Department and EPA’s continued efforts to protect public health by holding companies accountable for air quality violations and ensuring compliance with environmental standards.
