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EPA Voids Certificates Approving Import of Over 70,000 Small Recreational Vehicles

Release Date: 04/03/2013
Contact Information: Julia P. Valentine (News media only), [email protected], 202.564.0496, 202.564.4355

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it is withdrawing approval of the import and sale of up to 74,000 gas-powered on- and off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles from China. The agency believes that it received either incomplete or falsified certification information.

EPA issued the vehicle certificates from 2006 to 2012 to two companies which operate as Snyder Technology, Inc. and Snyder Computer Systems, Inc. (doing business as Wildfire Motors Corporation). As a result of a lengthy investigation, the agency believes that the applications for the certificates contained misleading information and must be voided.

All vehicles imported into or manufactured in the United States are required to have certificates of conformity. Manufacturers or importers must submit an application to EPA that describes the vehicle and its emission control system. It must also provide emissions data demonstrating that the vehicle will meet federal emission standards for certain pollutants, including oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and total hydrocarbons (HC)--all of which can harm public health and the environment. These pollutants can contribute to soot (fine particles) and smog (ground-level ozone), which are associated with asthma and heart attacks, increased emergency room visits and premature death.

In the cases of Snyder and Wildfire, EPA believes the manufacturers failed to accurately test the emissions from their own products, all of which were imported from China. Without proper emission controls, these vehicles can emit substantially more pollution than allowable under Clean Air Act standards.

Today’s action impacts the companies that manufactured and imported these vehicles. A consumer who owns a model that was covered by these voided certificates is not responsible for these companies’ wrongdoing and can continue to use the vehicle.

More information on the recreational vehicles: http://epa.gov/otaq/recveh.htm