US sues VW for at least $20 bn over emissions cheating

New York - The US government sued Volkswagen Monday for installing equipment on nearly 600,000 diesel cars that intentionally subverted clean-air regulations, resulting in excess harmful emissions.

Civil penalties in the lawsuit, filed by the Justice Department on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency, could run well above $20 billion, according to the suit.

The complaint alleges that the big German automaker intentionally installed "defeat devices" on its diesel VWs, Audis and Porsches that met tough US environmental tests during official reviews, but spewed up to 40 times the legal levels of poisonous pollutants when on the road.

The Justice Department did not specify a specific overall penalty it was seeking.
But it laid out per-car penalties of up to $37,500, and up to $2,750 per defeat device, which could take the cost of the suit for VW to well past $20 billion.

"Car manufacturers that fail to properly certify their cars and that defeat emission control systems breach the public trust, endanger public health and disadvantage competitors," said assistant attorney general John Cruden.

"The United States will pursue all appropriate remedies against Volkswagen to redress the violations of our nation’s clean air laws alleged in the complaint."

Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance at EPA, said the lawsuit would hold Volkswagen accountable and set the case on a "path to resolution."

"So far, recall discussions with the company have not produced an acceptable way forward," Giles said. "These discussions will continue in parallel with the federal court action."  — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Low Dose Asbestos

You may think that your chances of developing an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma are very slim if you have not been directly exposed to asbestos, or if you have not been exposed to it for very long.  While it is known that higher levels of exposure can be more dangerous, a surprising truth is that no amount of exposure to asbestos is truly safe.  Even brief direct exposure, or secondary exposure through others, can lead to disease.

A distinction can be made between asbestos exposure that happens on the job (known as occupational exposure) and exposure that occurs in the environment.  It stands to reason that levels of asbestos particles in the air are significantly higher near places where asbestos is used in industry, such as asbestos factories or mines, or near the demolition of buildings.  Research supports this.  Inside buildings, asbestos levels may be higher if building materials (such as insulation or floor/ceiling tiles) containing asbestos are present.  If the materials are in good condition, the levels are likely to be lower.  However, if they are in disrepair and crumbling, there is a higher risk of the fibers being released into the air.

Asbestos poses a potential health risk any time it is inhaled, as fibers may become trapped in the lungs and cause scarring.  There is generally a latency period of several decades between exposure to asbestos and the onset of disease.  Long periods of exposure to asbestos at lower levels can be as dangerous as shorter exposure at higher concentrations.

As always, you should follow guidelines set in place by government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to protect yourself from known asbestos exposure at work and in the environment. 

source: cooneyconway.com