The United States Department of Justice recently fined Japanese automaker Toyota $ 180 million for alleged violations of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Act reporting requirements. The veteran carmaker’s violations reportedly lasted about a decade, from about 2005 to at least 2015.
According to the DOJ on Thursday, Toyota has delayed the filing of approximately 78 emission error information reports involving millions of vehicles. The Justice Department also claimed that Toyota had not submitted 20 voluntary emissions recall reports, as well as 200 quarterly reports that the EPA needed to update on emissions-related recalls, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, noted that Toyota’s actions undermined the EPA’s self-disclosure system. This delayed or avoided the introduction of relevant emissions-related recalls, and it benefited the company at the expense of excess emissions.
“For a decade, Toyota has systematically violated regulations that provide the EPA with a critical compliance tool to ensure that vehicles on the road meet federal emissions standards. Toyota closed its eyes to the non-compliance and failed to provide proper training, attention and oversight of the Clean Air Act’s reporting obligations.
Toyota’s actions undermined the EPA’s self-disclosure system and likely led to delayed or avoided emission-related recalls, resulting in financial benefit to Toyota and excessive air pollutant emissions. Today, Toyota is paying the price for its misconduct with a $ 180 million civil fine and a preliminary injunction to ensure the violations are not repeated, ”said Strauss.
Susan Bodine, EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Assistant Administrator, described Toyota’s actions as a serious violation of the Clean Air Act. “For a decade, Toyota has not reported mandatory information about possible defects to their cars to the EPA, leaving the agency in the dark and evading surveillance,” said Bodine.
A Toyota spokesperson noted that the company reported five years ago that there was a “litigation gap” that resulted in delays in the automaker’s submission of some non-public EPA reports. However, the spokesperson noted that Toyota eventually submitted all relevant delayed findings and that the company initiated new reporting and compliance processes. “We recognize that some of our reporting protocols fell short of our own high standards, and we are pleased to have resolved this issue,” said the spokesman.
According to the DOJ, Toyota’s $ 180 million fine is the largest civil fine to date related to violations of the EPA’s emissions reporting requirements.
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