Kyle
Beloved Misanthrope
This threatens the car hobby at its core.
There’s an ideal among some Americans, usually those who lean a little more Left, that federal agencies like the EPA are heroes who constantly do good and very little evil. Because of this preconception, any criticism of federal action is met within the frame of anti-patriotism or even worse, an intent to dismantle a loving, kind government. However, two incidents quickly deconstruct this rather simplistic view. One is the EPA’s spilling of pollutants from Gold King mine in Colorado into the Animas River, which in turn polluted the mighty Colorado River. Water that was normally beautifully crystal clear in some areas turned a mustard yellow as recreationists were warned to stay away until everything cleared up. While accidental, the end result was the EPA, the federal agency charged with protecting the environment, caused a tremendous amount of pollution.
The second event which calls into question the EPA’s heroic actions – and there are many, many more like this – came after the Norfolk Southern train derailed on February 3 in East Palestine, Ohio. Michael Regan, Administrator of the EPA, insisted there was nothing toxic in the air and water of the area. Yet we have seen countless examples to prove such an assertion not only false, but laughably so.
Targeting An Industry
It’s in that light that we take a hard look at how the EPA is treating the aftermarket automotive parts industry, specifically when it comes to anything it considers to be an emissions defeat device. Just what is such a thing? According to an Enforcement Alert issued by the EPA in December 2020 it’s spelled out as follows:
“Examples of such parts, devices, and elements of design include: the on-board diagnostic system (OBD); diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs); sensors for oxygen, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), ammonia, particulate matter (PM), urea quality, and exhaust gas temperature; diesel particulate filters (DPFs) and their sensors; exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems; diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs); selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems; NOx adsorber catalyst (NAC) systems; engine calibrations that affect engine combustion (e.g., fuel injection or ignition timing, injection pattern, fuel injection mass for each injection event, fuel injection pressure, EGR flowrate, mass air flowrate, EGR cooler bypassing).”
That’s quite the list of potential defeat devices. If you’re realizing pretty much every powertrain, intake, and exhaust modification could fall under that laundry list, you’re starting to catch on to what’s happening.
news.yahoo.com
There’s an ideal among some Americans, usually those who lean a little more Left, that federal agencies like the EPA are heroes who constantly do good and very little evil. Because of this preconception, any criticism of federal action is met within the frame of anti-patriotism or even worse, an intent to dismantle a loving, kind government. However, two incidents quickly deconstruct this rather simplistic view. One is the EPA’s spilling of pollutants from Gold King mine in Colorado into the Animas River, which in turn polluted the mighty Colorado River. Water that was normally beautifully crystal clear in some areas turned a mustard yellow as recreationists were warned to stay away until everything cleared up. While accidental, the end result was the EPA, the federal agency charged with protecting the environment, caused a tremendous amount of pollution.
The second event which calls into question the EPA’s heroic actions – and there are many, many more like this – came after the Norfolk Southern train derailed on February 3 in East Palestine, Ohio. Michael Regan, Administrator of the EPA, insisted there was nothing toxic in the air and water of the area. Yet we have seen countless examples to prove such an assertion not only false, but laughably so.
Targeting An Industry
It’s in that light that we take a hard look at how the EPA is treating the aftermarket automotive parts industry, specifically when it comes to anything it considers to be an emissions defeat device. Just what is such a thing? According to an Enforcement Alert issued by the EPA in December 2020 it’s spelled out as follows:
“Examples of such parts, devices, and elements of design include: the on-board diagnostic system (OBD); diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs); sensors for oxygen, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), ammonia, particulate matter (PM), urea quality, and exhaust gas temperature; diesel particulate filters (DPFs) and their sensors; exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems; diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs); selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems; NOx adsorber catalyst (NAC) systems; engine calibrations that affect engine combustion (e.g., fuel injection or ignition timing, injection pattern, fuel injection mass for each injection event, fuel injection pressure, EGR flowrate, mass air flowrate, EGR cooler bypassing).”
That’s quite the list of potential defeat devices. If you’re realizing pretty much every powertrain, intake, and exhaust modification could fall under that laundry list, you’re starting to catch on to what’s happening.
The EPA Is Targeting Aftermarket Car Modifications
This threatens the car hobby at its core. The post The EPA Is Targeting Aftermarket Car Modifications appeared first on The Auto Wire.
