Ebay faces up to $2 billion in fines over selling "rolling coal" devices [View all]
Source: CBS News
October 16, 2023 / 5:22 PM
Ebay may have to cough up as much as $2 billion in fines for allegedly allowing the distribution and sale of hundreds of thousands of products that significantly increase pollution spewing from diesel pickup trucks.
The e-commerce giant is accused of letting more than 343,000 aftermarket "rolling coal" devices — made to neutralize motor vehicle emission controls — be sold through its platform in violation of the Clean Air Act, according to a Justice Department complaint filed in Brooklyn federal court.
EBay sold the products between November 2015 and January 2023, with each device that was sold subject to a $5,580 fine, the federal agency said in its lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency. Products that override autos' emissions controls are used to boost a diesel truck's power and to enable it to spew a plume of black exhaust in what's known as a "roll coal."
Some drivers seemingly use the devices as an anti-environmental protest of sorts, targeting electric or hybrid vehicles like Teslas and Priuses or bicyclists. According to the EPA, coal rolling is a major source of air pollution because of the nitrogen oxide released into the air. Exposure to exhaust fumes also puts people at risk of developing respiratory troubles such as asthma and bronchitis, research has shown.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ebay-rolling-coal-devices-epa-justice-department/
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