House subcommittee examines EPA, DOJ enforcement of vehicle emissions cases involving small businesses

The House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement held a hearing examining enforcement actions by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice against businesses that sell or install aftermarket diesel emission devices, members and witnesses said.

The hearing focused on whether EPA and DOJ have relied on criminal prosecutions and armed enforcement tactics against small shops and aftermarket suppliers rather than using civil enforcement or state and local resources, and on the public-health rationale for aggressive action against devices that disable emission controls.

Chairman Higgins opened the hearing by saying the subcommittee was "going to hear about the aggressive enforcement tactics employed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice to intimidate small businesses into consent agreements and other enforcement actions," and later described some tactics as "regulatory terror against everyday American entrepreneurs." Ranking Member Miss Lee said enforcing environmental laws "is critical to protecting public health and ensuring that every person in this country has access to clean air, safe water, and healthy land," and warned that weakening protections would harm communities that already suffer higher rates of asthma and other illnesses.

Corey Willis, owner of Power Performance Enterprises Inc. (PPEI) of Lake Charles, Louisiana, told the subcommittee that…