EPA halts certain Chinese motorcycle, ATV imports

   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today said it’s withdrawing approval of the import and sale of up to 74,000 gas-powered on-and off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles from China.
   EPA issued the vehicle certificates from 2006 to 2012 to two companies which operate as Snyder Technology and Snyder Computer Systems (doing business as Wildfire Motors Corp.). As a result of a lengthy investigation, EPA said that the applications for the certificates contained misleading information and must be voided.
   All vehicles imported into or manufactured in the United States are required to have certificates of conformity. Manufacturers or importers must submit an application to EPA that describes the vehicle and its emission control system. They must also provide emissions data demonstrating that the vehicle will meet federal emission standards for certain pollutants, including oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and total hydrocarbons (HC) – “all of which can harm public health and the environment,” the agency said.
   In the cases of Snyder and Wildfire, EPA noted the manufacturers failed to accurately test the emissions from their own products, all of which were imported from China. “Without proper emission controls, these vehicles can emit substantially more pollution than allowable under Clean Air Act standards,” EPA said.
   “Today’s action impacts the companies that manufactured and imported these vehicles. A consumer who owns a model that was covered by these voided certificates is not responsible for these companies’ wrongdoing and can continue to use the vehicle,” the agency added.