EPA, Criminally Incompetent

[Team Sergeant]

Want to bet that someone in the EPA was taking some serious bribes from VW for decades? Corrupt friggin morons.


EPA Says VW Intentionally Violates Clean Air Standards
Published September 18, 2015
·Associated Press

The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday ordered Volkswagen to fix nearly 500,000 VW and Audi diesel cars that the agency said are intentionally violating clean air laws by using software that evades EPA emissions standards.

VW, which owns Audi, faces billions of dollars in fines, although exact amounts were not determined.

The cars, all built in the last seven years, include a device programmed to detect when they are undergoing official emissions testing, the EPA said, adding that the cars only turn on full emissions control systems during that testing. The controls are turned off during normal driving situations, the EPA said.

The EPA called the company's use of the so-called "defeat device" illegal and a threat to public health.

"EPA is committed to making sure that all automakers play by the same rules," said Cynthia Giles, assistant EPA administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance.

The EPA called on VW to fix the cars' emissions systems, but said car owners do not need to take any immediate action. The violations do not present a safety hazard and the cars remain legal to drive and sell, the EPA said.


cont:
http://www.foxbusiness.com/industrie.../?intcmp=hpbt1

[PedOncoDoc]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

Want to bet that someone in the EPA was taking some serious bribes from VW for decades? Corrupt friggin morons.


EPA Says VW Intentionally Violates Clean Air Standards
Published September 18, 2015
·Associated Press

The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday ordered Volkswagen to fix nearly 500,000 VW and Audi diesel cars that the agency said are intentionally violating clean air laws by using software that evades EPA emissions standards.

VW, which owns Audi, faces billions of dollars in fines, although exact amounts were not determined.

The cars, all built in the last seven years, include a device programmed to detect when they are undergoing official emissions testing, the EPA said, adding that the cars only turn on full emissions control systems during that testing. The controls are turned off during normal driving situations, the EPA said.

The EPA called the company's use of the so-called "defeat device" illegal and a threat to public health.

"EPA is committed to making sure that all automakers play by the same rules," said Cynthia Giles, assistant EPA administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance.

The EPA called on VW to fix the cars' emissions systems, but said car owners do not need to take any immediate action. The violations do not present a safety hazard and the cars remain legal to drive and sell, the EPA said.


cont:
http://www.foxbusiness.com/industrie.../?intcmp=hpbt1

They need someone to finance the cleanup of the mine spill...

[Hand]

This story stinks.

What exactly is "official emissions testing"? Is that like when you get your car inspected? If so, how would they know how the car was running before they hooked it up?

Is it some super awesome thorough machine that only the EPA has that they use for "official emissions testing"?
If so, how would they know how the car ran before they hooked it up?

... unless, the EPA hired the NSA to reverse engineer the spark and advance algorithms on the embedded VW systems and found the conditional in the source code that specified running the "official" map only when the super duper EPA machine was hooked up.

Furthermore, how can VW prove they are NOT doing what they are accused of? I agree with PedOncoDoc.

[RomanCandle]

It long been known that engines in motorbikes have for years been mapped with a dip in the power curve at the rev ranges that emissions and noise tests are conducted at. Hence the popularity of Dynamometer testing and tuning even on normally aspirated bikes, and a startling improvement of responsiveness and horsepower through the rev range as a result. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this was also the norm for car engines all along prior to the more sophisticated electronic devices used today.

Back in the 90s this was always alleged to be mainly because of the extremely strict green laws in California and Europe and was a way to get around these laws without the addition of heavy power-sapping devices such at catalytic converters etc.

[JimP]

it doesn't matter. These days this is the new normal for corporate shake-downs. It'll cost VW millions to fight this bureaucracy. The EPA will assess the fines just below the level of what it'll take to fight it thereby ensuring they get their money.

Under President Jarrett you will see this more and more as little barry focuses on his apre' presidential aspirations.

and some continue to think that this administration is NOT a continuous criminal enterprise.

[Badger52]

Originally Posted by PedOncoDoc

They need someone to finance the cleanup of the mine spill...

... and moves the news-cycle spotlight.

[mugwump]

Originally Posted by Hand

This story stinks.

What exactly is "official emissions testing"? Is that like when you get your car inspected? If so, how would they know how the car was running before they hooked it up?

Is it some super awesome thorough machine that only the EPA has that they use for "official emissions testing"?
If so, how would they know how the car ran before they hooked it up?

... unless, the EPA hired the NSA to reverse engineer the spark and advance algorithms on the embedded VW systems and found the conditional in the source code that specified running the "official" map only when the super duper EPA machine was hooked up.

Furthermore, how can VW prove they are NOT doing what they are accused of? I agree with PedOncoDoc.

The emissions tech places a device on the hood and can watch swiggles on their screen. Then they hook the emissions testing system into the trouble code port thingy. My guess is someone could see a change in the squiggles when the port is accessed. Just had this done. Sorry if I'm getting too technical.

[PedOncoDoc]

Originally Posted by mugwump

The emissions tech places a device on the hood and can watch swiggles on their screen. Then they hook the emissions testing system into the trouble code port thingy. My guess is someone could see a change in the squiggles when the port is accessed. Just had this done. Sorry if I'm getting too technical.

I think most of us can handle hi-tech terms like "squiggle".

[I am Al]

Originally Posted by JimP

it doesn't matter. These days this is the new normal for corporate shake-downs. It'll cost VW millions to fight this bureaucracy. The EPA will assess the fines just below the level of what it'll take to fight it thereby ensuring they get their money.
...

I'm in the shakedown camp also. I think the targets are picked by the amount cash shown on their balance sheet and the limited donations they gave to democratic party PAC's. Bill Clinton seemed to use a similar approach, except instead of the EPA, he used the DOJ anti-trust division. That's how it looks like it works to me anyway.