This case addresses alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) by a group of Dallas-based companies: Savoia, Inc., BMX Imports, L.P., and BMX Trading, L.L.C, and their owner, Terry Zimmer. The companies import (or formerly imported) highway motorcycles and recreational vehicles from several foreign manufacturers (including vehicles sold under the brand names of Peace, Lifan, Buyang, Bashan, Huansong, Wangli, JCL, and Xinyang). Defendants would then sell the imported vehicles throughout the United States from their website and from their retail location in Dallas, Texas.
The violations stem from the alleged illegal import of over 24,167 highway motorcycles and recreational vehicles into the United States without proper documentation.
The EPA discovered Defendants violations through inspections at ports of entry and through a comprehensive information request. The EPA maintains a relationship with the United States Department of Homeland SecurityÂs Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) whereby CBP inspects vehicles and engines for compliance with the Clean Air Act and its regulations. In this case, inspectors at the port of Long Beach inspected at least nine entries between July 2008 and March 2009 for which one of the Defendants was the importer of record. Next, the EPA issued Defendants a Request for Information, pursuant to section 208 of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7542. Lastly, in February 2011, EPA representatives inspected vehicles at Defendants