Jerry Martin
(916) 322-2990
Richard Varenchik
(626) 575-6730
www.arb.ca.gov
ARB Settles Air Quality Violation with Volvo
SACRAMENTO -- The California Air Resources Board (ARB) today
announced a $104,000 settlement with Volvo Cars of North America (Rockleigh, NJ) for selling in California vehicles
that had not been certified to the state's emission standards.
The 26 new 1998-model year cars included S70 and V70 models and
were certified for sale in other states by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency but not for sale in California.
California is the only state with authority to write its own emission
standards for automobiles - standards that typically are more stringent than federal standards and frequently become
national trendsetters.
Volvo recalled the cars in January 1999, and replaced those already
sold with new California-certified cars. According to the settlement agreement, $78,000 will be paid to the Air
Pollution Control Fund and $26,000 will be placed in escrow for a future Supplemental Environmental Project (in
environmental education or research) to be mutually agreed upon by the ARB and Volvo.
Enforcement Branch officers from ARB's Mobile Source Operations
Division routinely inspect vehicles on dealership lots throughout the state to verify compliance with air pollution
control regulations. New cars certified to California's air quality standards have a sticker under the hood that
is applied at the assembly facility. The 26 cars in this investigation were incorrectly labeled at Volvo's factory
as meeting California certification standards, a violation of Sections 43150-43154 of the California Health and
Safety Code.
The Air Resources Board is a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological
resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy.
The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health based air quality
standards.
