Friday, September 18, 2015
Consumers Union’s Ellen Bloom: “Volkswagen was ripping off the consumer and hurting the environment at the same time”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a notice of violation to Volkswagen, saying the automaker violated clean air laws by intentionally installing software to circumvent the emissions control system in some 482,000 diesel vehicles sold in the U.S and evade emissions standards.
Ellen Bloom, senior director of federal policy for Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, said, “This is a serious violation of the law. Volkswagen was ripping off the consumer and hurting the environment at the same time. The carmaker was apparently installing software in vehicles that effectively let them generate more pollution than advertised. It’s outrageous. We applaud the EPA and California for cracking down on Volkswagen. These actions send a powerful message that if a carmaker uses technology to get around the rules, regulators are going to come down hard on you for breaking the law.”
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Contact: David Butler, dbutler@consumer.org, or Kara Kelber, kara.kelber@consumer.