CARB, Honda in engine settlement

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) said it has entered into an agreement with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to resolve an issue regarding the sale of and emissions certification for a variety of Honda general purpose engines and Honda products containing those engines.

As part of the settlement agreement, Honda will pay a penalty of $6.99 million. Most of the funds will go to the California Air Pollution Control Fund, with the remaining $3.05 million to support initiatives intended to improve California air quality.

Except for a total of 89 snowblowers, Honda said the settlement does not require any recalls or action by owners of products equipped with these engines, now or in the future, and does not impact the sale or resale of the included products.

CARB said Honda’s engines failed to meet the 24-hour evaporative standards determined by testing engines while cycling from typical night-to-day temperatures found in California. Honda also failed to follow Small Off-Road Engine Evaporative Emission Control System Certification Procedures, CARB said.

“This case reinforces the importance of CARB’s testing and investigative work,” said CARB Executive Officer Richard W. Corey. “The scope of this violation and impact to California’s air pollution challenge is significant -- more than 150,000 small off-road engines used without proper certification that also failed to meet California’s evaporative emissions standards. The excess raw fuel from these engines goes directly into the air where it becomes a fundamental building block of ozone and smog. The case also underscores the need to transition to clean equipment that does not rely on burning fuel.”

In addition to the penalty and as a condition of settlement, Honda is required to submit and implement a corporate compliance plan to fulfill all CARB regulations going forward. Honda will also forfeit about 80,000 banked emissions credits it has accumulated under the program as part of the settlement.

CARB said Honda cooperated with the agency to resolve all allegations of emissions violations.