Biofriendly Corp. pays EPA $1.25m for Clean Air Act-violating fuel additive
There are two ways to report today's news about the Biofriendly Corp.First, if you're the company, you put out a release saying that the EPA has "approved new product registrations for its Green Plus liquid combustion catalyst after an exhaustive two year review." Do not mention the amount of the fine you just agreed to pay the EPA for violating their rules. Also, admit no wrongdoing.
Second, if you're the EPA, you issue the news (pasted after the jump) that Biofriendly Corp. will pay you $1.25 million for "manufacturing and selling an unregistered fuel additive in Texas and California." Also, title your release "Green Plus" a Green Minus for Coffers of Fuel Additive Company. It's very clever.
Yes, this is the news today about the Biofriendly Corp. The EPA said that the company falsely claimed that Green Plus reduced diesel emissions when it sold the additive between 2002 and 2006. According the Biofriendly Corp. release, a newly-tested Green Plus is once again available worldwide and creates "a more complete, cooler and more linear burn."
[Source: EPA, Biofriendly Corporation]
PRESS RELEASE:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
"Green Plus" a Green Minus for Coffers of Fuel Additive Company
(Washington , D.C. - Nov. 3, 2008) Biofriendly Corp., incorporated in Nevada with principal offices in Covina, Calif., has agreed to pay EPA $1.25 million for manufacturing and selling an unregistered fuel additive in Texas and California.
"The fuel additive requirements of the Clean Air Act are a critical part of EPA's program to reduce air pollution," said Granta Nakayama, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "This is the largest penalty ever levied for violation of the Clean Air Act's registration requirements for fuels and fuel additives."
Biofriendly sold "Green Plus," an unregistered fuel additive it claimed reduced emissions in diesel fuel, between Sept. 2002 and May 2006. When Biofriendly discovered it was in violation, it stopped selling Green Plus domestically.
The Clean Air Act requires that motor vehicle fuels and fuel additives meet stringent environmental standards before they can be distributed. Biofriendly failed to register Green Plus according to EPA procedures ensuring that fuel additives not increase emissions of harmful air pollutants or interfere with vehicle emission control devices. At a minimum, companies must provide EPA with information on the chemical composition and structure of the additive, and may also be required to test products before obtaining EPA registration.
Biofriendly operates in the United States and internationally. The company manufactures, sells, and distributes fuel additives and fuels that contain additives.
The agreement was lodged Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division, and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.
More information on the Biofriendly settlement: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/biofriendlycorp.html
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tara 5:57PM (11/10/2008)
Hi Sebastian,
Here's more information for you, to follow up on what you wrote: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/green/Same_Day_Fine__Approval_for_California_Fuel_Additive_Maker.html
Email me, if you'd like to go over more.
Reply
Michael 6:54PM (11/10/2008)
sad that biofriendly got singled out - I've never been able to find envirofuels diesel fuel catalyzer additive on the EPA's list of registered additives either.
of course, I've also read where biodiesel was never "verified" either, and we see that promoted everywhere so who knows..
Hopefully the texled people will learn how to use google someday, and keep these snakeoils out of our fuel.
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