A Nashville-based automotive aftermarket parts distributor, Diesel Performance Parts Inc. (DPPI), has agreed to pay $320,000 in civil penalties for selling illegal “defeat devices” that disable vehicle emission controls, violating the Clean Air Act (CAA). The settlement, announced by the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aims to crack down on practices that significantly increase air pollution from motor vehicles
Since September 2018, DPPI sold at least 6,858 aftermarket defeat devices that bypassed, defeated, or rendered inoperative emissions control systems installed in diesel-powered motor vehicles. These devices negate the emission controls that reduce air pollutants and their harmful effects.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) stated, “Defeat devices violate the Clean Air Act and cause a vehicle to contribute significantly higher amounts of pollutants into the air. Excess emissions tangibly worsen the air we breathe. We are committed to upholding the rule of law.”
EPA Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle for Region 4 emphasized the agency’s commitment to holding sellers of defeat devices accountable, stating, “These illegal practices contribute to harmful air pollution and impede federal, state, and local efforts to implement air quality standards that protect public health.”
As part of the settlement, DPPI has agreed to:
- Pay $320,000 in civil penalties
- Send notices to dealers and customers about the settlement
- Remove all marketing material related to defeat devices
- Certify that they have stopped selling devices that disable vehicle emission controls
The impact of defeat devices on air quality is significant. An EPA study found that known sales of defeat devices for certain diesel trucks between 2009 and 2020 resulted in excess emissions of more than 570,000 tons of nitrogen oxides and 5,000 tons of particulate matter over the lifetime of the trucks. These emissions are linked to various health conditions, including premature mortality, aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, asthma exacerbation, acute respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis, decreased lung function, and increased incidence of lung cancer.
This settlement is part of the EPA’s ongoing efforts to combat the sale and use of defeat devices, which pose a significant threat to air quality and public health in the Southeastern region and across the United States.
