This case addresses alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) by American Lifan Industry, Inc. (American Lifan), an Ontario, California-based vehicle and engine importer. American Lifan has agreed to ensure that future imports meet environmental standards after illegally importing and selling nearly 28,000 highway motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and engines manufactured in China that did not comply with emission limits for harmful pollution required by the Clean Air Act (CAA).
The settlement requires American Lifan to pay $630,000 in civil penalties to the United States Treasury. The company has also agreed to post a $300,000-$500,000 bond to satisfy any future CAA penalty related to importation of model year 2014, 2015, and 2016 vehicles manufactured by China Lifan Industry (Group) Co., Ltd or affiliated companies. This is the first instance that the EPA secured such a bond in a CAA settlement.
The settlement, just approved by EPAÂs Environmental Appeals Board, alleges that the company violated the CAA by importing and selling over 6,700 highway motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and engines that lack the required certification indicating that emissions meet federal standards. The EPA also alleges that the company failed to provide purchasers with the full emissions warranty required by the CAA; imported and sold vehicles without proper emission labels; and failed to follow recordkeeping requirements.
The EPA and U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityÂ