EPA vs. Aftermarket Industry

[GGEvo]

Didn't see this posted here yet, really sucks for a well known shop and tuner

The EPA is apparently going after Evans Tuning/Jeff Evans for 298 counts of breaking the clean air act and millions in fines. Its a long read but interesting

 

http://www.vtec.net/forums/one-message?message_id=1314153

 

Something that stood out in the first post was

"If the EPA's action against Evans succeeds, they will have, in one fell swoop, made illegal over 90% of the products and services provided by the aftermarket in the United States. Any modification that does not undergo California CARB certification or a US FTP emissions cert, would be de facto illegal for use on any vehicle made after 1971, regardless of the usage or venue of usage for that vehicle. No longer will you be able to custom tune a race car, unless you are willing to spend $10k to custom certify the emissions of that vehicle. And all production based racing series (see World Challenge, for example) would be required to use factory catalysts (which will not last in a race environment of course).

 

 

Discuss

[2 Sweet]

EPA can DIAF

[DKilbourne]

EPA can only do as much as the legislators give them power to do.

[Stallion Motorsports1647545491]

I feel like the EPA is trying to make an example out of Evans. It's almost like they are going after the little guy they know can't afford to lawyer up, and take them on.

 

Tom

[Geeesammy]

Thought Trump killed off this useless organization

[GGEvo]

I feel like the EPA is trying to make an example out of Evans. It's almost like they are going after the little guy they know can't afford to lawyer up, and take them on.

 

Tom

 

Ya for sure, they are saying litigation to even try to fight this is going to be 6 figures, and what really seems unfair is they are going after the individual and not the company, so filing for bankruptcy wont save him from the 1 mil+ fine

[wagner]

Didn't see this posted here yet, really sucks for a well known shop and tuner

The EPA is apparently going after Evans Tuning/Jeff Evans for 298 counts of breaking the clean air act and millions in fines. Its a long read but interesting

 

http://www.vtec.net/forums/one-message?message_id=1314153

 

Something that stood out in the first post was

"If the EPA's action against Evans succeeds, they will have, in one fell swoop, made illegal over 90% of the products and services provided by the aftermarket in the United States. Any modification that does not undergo California CARB certification or a US FTP emissions cert, would be de facto illegal for use on any vehicle made after 1971, regardless of the usage or venue of usage for that vehicle. No longer will you be able to custom tune a race car, unless you are willing to spend $10k to custom certify the emissions of that vehicle. And all production based racing series (see World Challenge, for example) would be required to use factory catalysts (which will not last in a race environment of course).

 

 

Discuss

 

I have talked about this before and was told I didn't know anything on the subject :dumb:

 

I've talked with company reps that make non-emissions items and they have said the same thing, the EPA is trying to crush the aftermarket industry as a whole, period.

 

Let's be real here, aftermarket cars/racing is such a small percentage of what damages the environment, yet this organization seems to have a hard on for going after it. How does that make any sense at all?

[TTQ B4U]

Lets hope the new administration sees this as a threat to small business and ends it.

[Geeesammy]

I have talked about this before and was told I didn't know anything on the subject :dumb:

 

I've talked with company reps that make non-emissions items and they have said the same thing, the EPA is trying to crush the aftermarket industry as a whole, period.

 

Let's be real here, aftermarket cars/racing is such a small percentage of what damages the environment, yet this organization seems to have a hard on for going after it. How does that make any sense at all?

 

Cut rate shops discharge refrigerants to the air and dump oil in the waterways.

 

Meanwhile mod an older car and actually make it run better and more efficiently and BOOM illegal. Emjoy your fine scum!

[Geeto67]

Does anybody have a link to the enforcement action? So far the only places "reporting" this are car forums with no link to the source.

 

I don't see this as any different than their action against HD last year (which was settled), the EPA is trying to stop mfgs, dealers, and shops from selling non emissions compliant racing equipment for people to use on their street vehicle. Are they going about it the right way? Eh who knows, they got Harley to roll over on it and settle. I thinks it's a bit heavy handed but the abuse and illegal activity has been so pervasive they have to do something. They can't enforce against individuals so they attack the choke points in the supply chain - businesses whom they can regulate.

[Geeto67]

I have talked about this before and was told I didn't know anything on the subject :dumb:

 

No you are just really biased. Which isn't a good look for someone in a quasi journalism job.

 

 

I've talked with company reps that make non-emissions items and they have said the same thing, the EPA is trying to crush the aftermarket industry as a whole, period.

 

Yup that's their opinion. And I'm sure the EPA has a different take on it. They way you are saying it means you believe their opinion is fact and I just don't think that's a pragmatic approach to this. Some of the Aftermarket has enjoyed the lax enforcement of federal law and now that the EPA is starting enforcement they are running around like the sky is falling or Obama is gonna take their guns.

 

Let's be real here, aftermarket cars/racing is such a small percentage of what damages the environment, yet this organization seems to have a hard on for going after it. How does that make any sense at all?

 

I agree but the solution isn't let's ignore this small section while other sections get fixed. Everything needs to change. If SEMA or the collective automotive hobby's stance is "let's not change anything" they they are going to lose. You can't fight entropy or progress. A better approach would be to work with the EPA to guide rule making and enforcement but instead they are digging in for a fight.

 

This isn't a clear case of good guys and bad guys. There is common ground here, but if you bought the company line you won't see it.

[buelliganx1]

 

This isn't a clear case of good guys and bad guys. There is common ground here, but if you bought the company line you won't see it.

 

I'd really like to agree with you here but since the EPA is a government agency I'm going to go out on a limb here and say the EPA very much views this as a case of the good guys vs the bad guys and they are the "good guys"

Seems like this is a case of let's go after the little guy because the big corporations that contribute vast amounts of pollution to our planet can pay us handsomely to look the other way while these little piss on's can't afford that. I hope they prove me wrong but I'm not holding my breath.

[Geeto67]

I'd really like to agree with you here but since the EPA is a government agency I'm going to go out on a limb here and say the EPA very much views this as a case of the good guys vs the bad guys and they are the "good guys"

 

Everybody likes to think of themselves as the good guys. The best movie/tv villains are the ones who think they are doing something bad for a noble or honor bound cause. But this is real life and heroes and villains aren't so clear cut from an outside objective standpoint.

 

 

Seems like this is a case of let's go after the little guy because the big corporations that contribute vast amounts of pollution to our planet can pay us handsomely to look the other way while these little piss on's can't afford that. I hope they prove me wrong but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Yeah, certainly seems like it from one point of view. There is a noticeable portion of the automotive aftermarket that relied on the end uses breaking the law as a business model so the other way to look at it is the EPA said let's go after the companies that most flagrantly facilitate law breaking, the distribution networks, to send a message that using race equipment that disables or alters emissions equipment on street cars won't be tolerated. What the EPA is trying to do is get the distributors to take more accountability in who they sell race only products to. And maybe the EPA is being heavy handed about it but maybe the aftermarket should have been so flagrant about it. Everybody owes a responsibility to the current situation.