Volkswagen is being sued by the United States Department of Justice for allegedly installing illegal software to cheat emissions control systems. The civil lawsuit aims to protect public health from the resulting air pollution caused by Volkswagen's emission scandal.
The US Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit against Volkswagen in a federal court in Detroit, Michigan. The car company apparently installed illegal defeat devices to bypass emissions tests in over 600,000 diesel engine vehicles.
The lawsuit further alleges Volkswagen of violating Clean Air Act regulations. Volkswagen reportedly manufactured and marketed vehicles that were designed contrary to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) qualifications.
Barbara L. McQuade, an attorney from Michigan, stated that the violations committed by Volkswagen cause "excessive air pollution" that can endanger public health. "Today's complaint is the first stage in bringing Volkswagen to justice for failing to disclose the defeat device while seeking certification for its diesel vehicles from EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality in Ann Arbor, Michigan," added McQuade.
Reuters reported that Volkswagen installed software that can regulate a car's emissions control system when it is on an actual road. The software can fool regulators to believe that a vehicle emits low gas emissions during a test, making it less air polluting.
This issue adds to the increasing number of lawsuits filed against Volkswagen ever since it admitted to cheating emission systems in September. The company is also facing criminal fraud charges for misleading customers and regulators.
By installing cheat devices, Volkswagen's vehicles pass emissions standards during tests but emit high levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx) upon actual driving. Studies have shown that NOx pollution cause serious respiratory diseases which could result to lung damage and death.
The US civil lawsuit against Volkswagen is seen as the first step towards protecting public health from air pollution, says Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the EPA compliance assurance office. A senior DOJ official said that Volkswagen "intentionally violated the law" knowing that there will be damaging effects to health, as per The Guardian's report.
Volkswagen could face penalties amounting to around $18 billion from the emissions scandal. It was reported that the US government's investigation is on-going, with EPA and CARB discussing possible solutions with Volkswagen to fix the issue.
