California Importer Faces Heavy Penalties for Non-Compliant Motorcycle, ATV Imports

A California importer faces hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties for importing motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles that don’t conform to certificates on file with the Environmental Protection Agency. According to a complaint filed March 11 by the federal government in Central California U.S. District Court, the company, named Goldenvale, imported over 16,000 motorcycles and ATVs that were of a different model year, from a different manufacturer, or had a different engine displacement than listed on its EPA certificates of conformity. Some of the vehicles also included a fully adjustable air-fuel mixture screw on the carburetor or a replaceable main jet in the carburetor, that was not described in its certificate application. The government is asking the court to assess Clean Air Act penalties of $32,500 per vehicle imported pre-2009, and $37,500 for each vehicle imported 2009 or after.