From the Union of Concerned Scientists (http://www.ucsusa.org):
The Volkswagen “Dieselgate” scandal that led to huge emissions of harmful diesel particulates and smog pollution could be minor compared to what is happening right now.
Congress is considering legislation that would protect the sale and use of “defeat devices,” which disable the emission control systems in our cars that remove dangerous air pollution before it goes out the tailpipe.
Urge your members of Congress to block the loop hole that would allow Dieselgate 2.0!
These devices are what VW used to cheat Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions testing on diesel cars. They are also used by amateur racers to increase the performance of their cars and trucks. It’s one thing if these modified, highly polluting vehicles are only used at racetracks, but there’s ample evidence that these devices are being illegally marketed and used on cars that are driven on our streets on a regular basis, spewing toxic pollution into our communities.
Manufacturers of these dirty devices are pushing Congress to give them free rein to sell their products, and right now, many in Congress are on board!
Vehicle exhaust is toxic, so cars and trucks used on public roads must have intact emissions control systems. The EPA estimates this protection prevents up to 2,000 premature deaths, 2,200 hospital admissions, and 19,000 asthma attacks a year.
The Union of Concerned Scientists found a settlement between the EPA and just one of the multiple manufacturers of these defeat devices and they admitted to having sold more than 100,000 devices. The pollution from the dirty defeat devices sold by this single manufacturer would equal twice the pollution from the VW Dieselgate vehicles. How many other manufacturers are putting profit over public health? The pollution could be catastrophic, so we need to make sure we’re holding this industry accountable.
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