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PA EPA SIGNS SETTLEMENT AGREE. W/AMERICAN SUZUKI CORP.

Release Date: 11/10/94
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PA EPA SIGNS SETTLEMENT AGREE. W/AMERICAN SUZUKI CORP.

FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1994

EPA SIGNS SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH
AMERICAN SUZUKI CORPORATION

On Nov. 8, EPA announced that it had signed an agreement with American Suzuki Corp. settling twenty-four alleged violations of the Clean Air Act related to the control of automobile emissions. EPA has agreed to resolve the violations by accepting a payment of $194,000 in civil penalties from Suzuki. The violations resulted from Suzuki's mishandling of emission data vehicles used to demonstrate compliance with the Federal motor vehicle emission requirements. New motor vehicles must be covered by an EPA certificate of conformity with emission requirements before they can be sold in the United States. To obtain a certificate of conformity, a manufacturer designates emission data vehicles that are representative of the vehicles it wishes to sell. The emission data vehicles are then tested for compliance with EPA emission requirements and the results are submitted in an application to EPA. If EPA determines that the emission data vehicles conform with the federal emission requirements, the Agency will issue a certificate of conformity to the manufacturer. Once a vehicle has been designated as an emission data vehicle, the manufacturer must report all tests conducted and obtain advance approval from EPA for all maintenance performed to ensure the representa-tiveness of the vehicle and the validity of test results submitted to EPA. On May 6, EPA notified Suzuki that between 1989 and 1993, Suzuki had on twenty-four separate occasions conducted tests and performed maintenance on emission data vehicles without reporting them or obtaining advance approval from EPA. For more information contact Bruce Fergusson at 202-564-1261.

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