Cummins to Pay Record-Breaking $2 Billion Fine for Illegal Truck Emissions
Cummins, one of the world's largest engine manufacturers, has agreed to pay a $2 billion fine and other costs after illegally installing devices on about one million pickup trucks to bypass emission standards. The settlement includes the largest-ever civil penalty in a Clean Air Act case.
Record-Breaking Fine & Penalties
Cummins Inc., a major engine manufacturer, will pay a record-breaking $2 billion in fines and other costs after being charged with illegally equipping approximately one million pickup trucks with devices that circumvented emission standards. This violation involved both California and national standards.
The settlement includes a $1.675 billion penalty, making it the largest civil penalty ever imposed in a Clean Air Act case and the second largest environmental penalty in U.S. history. Of this amount, $1.48 billion will go to the federal government and $164 million to California.
In addition to the fines, Cummins will also pay $325 million to fund projects across the nation, including a lump sum of $175 million to address excess air pollution in California.
Recall and Repair of Vehicles
As part of the settlement, Cummins is required to recall and replace its engine software in approximately 630,000 diesel-powered RAM pickup trucks for model years 2013 through 2019. The company must repair at least 85% of these vehicles within three years or face additional penalties.
The devices were also installed on about 330,000 model year 2020 through 2023 trucks, which are not subject to recalls.
Cummins maintains that it has not found any evidence of intentional wrongdoing and denies any admission of guilt.
Environmental Impact and Health Concerns
The illegal devices installed on Cummins truck engines resulted in significant emissions of nitrogen oxides, a major contributor to air pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials state that these emissions are harmful to human health, increasing the risk of heart attacks and respiratory diseases, including asthma attacks.
Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of the federal EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance emphasized that Cummins exposed communities across America to harmful air pollution.
The investigation into Cummins' violations was led by the U.S. EPA and the California Air Resources Board. California has the authority to impose its own emission standards due to its history of severe air pollution.
