EPA Levies Millons in Fines Against Manufacturers of “DPF Delete” Products
Edge Products fined $500,000 while other manufactures and marketers of pollution-control-defeat products face fines in the tens of millions; EPA actions puts end to popular diesel pickup performance practices
by Bruce W. Smith/ProPickup
Edge Products, which voluntarily stopped the sale and production of programmers designed to bypass the pollution control systems on late-model diesel pickups almost two years ago, reached a $500,000 settlement agreement with the EPA.
EPA estimates that the illegal devices sold by Edge will result in 158 tons of excess PM emissions, or the equivalent to the emissions from 422 new long-haul semi trucks operating for a period of 29 years.
It is also reported the EPA fined H&S, a manufacturer of both programmers and DPF-Delete exhaust kits and related products, $96M for violating the federal Clean Air Act.
Sources say other manufacturers, retailers and installers are facing, or likely to face, similar legal action by the EPA. (Link to EPA Criminal Reports.)
As ProPickup reported earlier on DPF Deletes, Edge was only one of a dozen companies that were manufacturing and selling products designed for “race-only” diesel applications but ending up on pickups driven on the street.
According to the EPA’s enforcement division statement, Edge’s racing arm sold more than 9,000 electronic tuners designed for racing purposes.
As part of the EPA settlement, Edge is required to spend at least $157,600 to fund an “emission mitigation project” to offset the excess PM emissions resulting from the use of its devices.
TheEPA settlement statement says the funds provided by Edge will be offered as rebates to individuals who own old wood-burning stoves and who wish to replace them with cleaner burning appliances such as new pellet stoves or EPA-certified wood stoves in selected geographic areas with severe PM pollution.
The rebate program, which is said to offer buyers of the Edge Racing tuners a $1,000 if they return the products, will be implemented by an independent third party selected solely by Edge.
Further details about the rebate program, including eligibility requirements, will be available after the third party has been selected.
