F-450 coal rolling
Courtesy: Salvatore Arnone | Wikipedia CC
Ebay could potentially face fines of up to $2 billion for allegedly enabling the sale of “rolling coal” pollution devices and other products that violate environmental laws on its platform.
Rolling coal refers to the modification of a vehicle’s engine to emit excessive amounts of soot and pollutants, often used as a means of anti-environmental protest. These modified vehicles, known as coal rollers, deliberately target electric or hybrid vehicles.
The Department of Justice, representing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has filed a lawsuit claiming that eBay facilitated the sale of over 343,000 rolling coal devices. Each sale could result in fines of up to $5,580 under the Clean Air Act.
eBay has denied the allegations in a public statement, asserting that it has blocked more than 99.9% of the listings for the cited products, including millions of listings annually.
“And eBay has collaborated closely with law enforcement, including the DOJ, for over two decades in identifying emerging risks and assisting in prevention and enforcement,” the online retailer stated.
The DOJ’s 61-page complaint included screenshots of emissions tampering devices listed on eBay.
Rolling coal devices are among various tools that can disable or tamper with a vehicle’s pre-installed emissions control systems, which are required by the EPA for all vehicles.
Tampering with a vehicle’s emissions control systems and selling tampering tools are illegal under the Clean Air Act. Some states, such as New Jersey, Maryland, and Maine, have banned the practice within their jurisdictions.
In addition to rolling coal products, prosecutors argue that eBay allowed the sale of over 5,600 dangerous methylene chloride paint removers and at least 23,000 prohibited pesticide products, both of which have been banned by the EPA due to safety hazards.
“eBay possesses the power, authority, and resources to prevent the sale of these illegal and harmful products on its website. However, it has chosen not to do so,” prosecutors stated in the filing.
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