OFF THE WIRE
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Ten U.S. states and the District of Columbia said Thursday they are
challenging a decision by the Trump administration to drop a requirement
that Harley-Davidson Inc (HOG) spend $3 million to reduce air pollution
under settlement the Obama administration announced.
In 2016, the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer agreed to pay a
$12 million civil fine and stop selling illegal after-market devices
that caused its vehicles to emit too much pollution, and spend about $3
million to retrofit or replace wood-burning appliances with cleaner
stoves.
The Justice Department in July cited a new policy by U.S. Attorney
General Jeff Sessions and an ongoing review of the penalty by a
government auditor in proposing to drop the $3 million penalty from the
settlement. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan must still deicide
whether to approve the revised agreement.
The Harley-Davidson settlement resolved allegations that Harley sold
about 340,000 “super tuners” enabling motorcycles since 2008 to pollute
the air at levels greater than what the company certified.
Harley-Davidson did not admit liability, and said previously it
disagreed with the government, arguing that the tuners were designed and
sold to be used in “competition only.”
The Harley-Davidson settlement came amid greater scrutiny on
emissions and “defeat devices” by U.S. regulators after Volkswagen AG
(VOWG_p.DE) admitted to using illegal software to evade U.S. emissions
standards in nearly 600,000 U.S. vehicles in September 2015. (Via
Reuters)
