How Soon Before They’ll Be Coming For You? Busting Diesel Deleters Continues…

[AbleGuy]

The EPA’s campaign to track down diesel deleters continues.

Diesel Tuners Indicted for Smuggling $33 Million in Emissions Defeat Devices Into US

A father and son duo allegedly imported the equipment from Canada and made more than $74 million in revenue over six years.

www.thedrive.com

Through the years many FSBO and build threads here have mentioned rigs with the deletion work done. Now that the feds have accumulated so many address lists of the end user buyers of these deletion packages, will they also start chasing down and prosecuting individual rig owners? 🤔

One has to wonder after reading (in these news article) these comments:

“Attempting to profit from evading pollution control systems puts the health and safety of everyone in our community at risk, especially children and individuals who suffer from asthma and respiratory illnesses,” said Eastern Washington District U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “Strong and fair enforcement of environmental and public health laws ensures a safer community for all families to live, learn, play, and work.” (From a companion enforcement case)

“The EPA’s mission has been clear: Violators of the Clean Air Act will be found and prosecuted, no matter how big or small.”

 

[tacollie]

I keep hearing about the EPA cracking down on deleted trucks on the internet. In the real world I see a lot of deleted trucks even though I live in a county that requires inspections of diesel trucks. I'm sure they're trying to crack down on it but they have a long ways to go.

 

[AbleGuy]

IIRC just last year, Cummins got whacked with an absolutely enormous fine ($1.65B !!!) in a case involving accusations of emissions tampering with Dodge trucks.

The Environmental Protection Agency was quoted as saying roughly 630,000 2013-2019 Ram HD pickups were allegedly equipped with software-related defeat devices. And another 330,000 trucks involved in the settlement, consisting of 2020-2023 Ram HD models, were claimed to have utilized “undisclosed engine control software features.” (From an earlier article in The Drive)

That’s quite a few trucks.

Do any of you guys own one of those trucks involved?

If so, what (if anything) was the follow up with you from Dodge, or Cummins, or the feds?

 

[klahanie]

Won't be anyone to do the tracking down if DOGE deletes the EPA.

Or will the EPA be needed to help certain EV sales ?

 

[alanymarce]

Is there any chance that we could focus on the reason behind the emission controls, and not their enforcement (or otherwise)?

 

[Ozarker]

Won't be anyone to do the tracking down if DOGE deletes the EPA.

Or will the EPA be needed to help certain EV sales ?

Yep, I think Able is just trying to bait us here about the EPA which is scheduled to be run by Lee Zeldin, consider too that the SCOUS, in '22, limited the EPA's ability to enforce clean air/carbon issues. Seriously doubt if the EPA will be chasing pick trucks.

Is there any chance that we could focus on the reason behind the emission controls, and not their enforcement (or otherwise)?

The reason for emission controls goes back decades in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions.

 

[ITTOG]

Won't be anyone to do the tracking down if DOGE deletes the EPA.

Wow, losing the EPA would be a disaster. Companies will not police themselves.

 

[klahanie]

Wow, losing the EPA would be a disaster. Companies will not police themselves.

I'm just funnin'.

No idea. Have heard, FBI, IRS, NASA, so figured EPA was game.

Not really funny tho ...

 

[DirtWhiskey]

Supreme Court "deleting" the Chevron Deference doctorine means any regulations that aren't enumerated by congress, that affect people's lives and are anything beyond simply administrative in nature are null and void. It even calls into question the entire field of administrative law courts. The Trump administration will test this theory to its fullest extent if this week is any indication. Whatever you think of it, pro or con, they will try it. How it all lands after the thousands of lawsuits and into the next election is anybody's guess.

People still delete all the time round these parts as some counties in Utah don't test emissions. Main ones on the Wasatch Front do, so I'm out on a deleted rig. Also why I drive a 2001 7.3 power stroke. No engine-choking emissions crap.

 

[JaSAn]

Asked a young diesel mechanic friend about this. His trucks 'roll coal'.
He said that it is his way of protesting EPA overregulation.
Wonder how the courts will handle that.

 

[tirod3]

At the present time it's all speculation over alphabet agencies. I consider it "extended campaign promises" until something actually happens.

In the area of enforcing emissions laws, the question was asked, are the emissions laws justified, or was it a program to place onerous restrictions on vehicle owners and their freedom? The point being, vehicle emissions rank far, far down the list compared to Jets, production plants, and electrical generation. As I like to point out, we get TWO full train car shipments of Wyoming coal to a Mobil AL power plant past our small town - daily - and as is admitted in discussions over grid production, we cannot rely on wind and solar. It fluctuates dramatically, forcing the grid to now shut down clean plants in favor of dirtier fast start up electric production to fill sudden gaps in the grid supply.

There are much bigger problems to solve yet the focus has been on the lower ranking issues that directly impact consumers, and it's not wrong to ask why the large emitters are ignored. Worse, we are a low ranking producer of pollution overall - a recent report from an military demonstration of a new fighter jet in China pointed out there wasn't much to see because of the smog, an uncontrolled afteraffect of Chinese coal plants. Worldwide pollution control is lacking but in America we chafe under restraints other countries ignore - yet we buy their products, underwriting even more pollution.

What we are dealing with are agencies who impose control on us more than our household suppliers and yet we do nothing to balance this? Who is really being targeted?

 

[TommyG]

Thinking back to seeing bought and paid for grey market Land Rovers snatched up from the driveways of the owners not too long ago it is not hard to imagine them going after individual owners.

 

[86scotty]

Thinking back to seeing bought and paid for grey market Land Rovers snatched up from the driveways of the owners not too long ago it is not hard to imagine them going after individual owners.

Where?

 

[XJLI]

Where?

It was a few years ago... 2018?17? A couple importers who brought in and sold Td5 and Puma Defenders but "backdated" them with VINs of older trucks. It wasn't a lot of trucks, but IIRC they all got crushed.

 

[alanymarce]

The reason for emission controls goes back decades in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions.

Exactly!