In the recent turn of events it has been found out that the online shopping giant eBay has been accused of allowing the sale of “rolling coal” devices along with other equipments that are involved in polluting environment and breach the environmental laws.
It has been said by the United States Department of justice that the online shopping behemoth sold over 343,000 defeat devices that violated the clean air act, and is now liable for $5580 fine on the sale of each device.
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Rolling coal is famously a kind of anti-environmentalist protest happening in the United States, comprising the rectification of a diesel engine that emits black cloud full of soot and toxins harming the environment and degrading the quality of air.
It was not long ago when the devices required to perform such services were comparatively easy to find and access by means of online shopping, and would cost somewhere between 200 and 500 dollars.
In the complaint filed in a federal court in New York, the justice department of the United States stated on behalf of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), claiming that rolling devices “defeat motor vehicle emission controls“ which are mentioned in the Clean Air Act.
The complaint mentioned, “Aftermarket defeat services significantly increase pollution emissions – including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and non methane hydrocarbons – that harm public health.”
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It was not long ago when the devices required to perform such services were comparatively easy to find and access by means of online shopping, and would cost somewhere between 200 and 500 dollars.
The EPA – an agency confined in the US, criminalised the service in 2014, with some states levying a fine of upto $5000 for anyone caught guilty of it. Several companies that were found guilty of the practice after this law was introduced have been forced to pay fines up to $1 million for breaching the law.
Following the Justice Department’s latest action against eBay, David Uhlmann, An officer at DPS office of enforcement and compliance assurance said, “Our nation’s environmental laws protect public health and the environment by prohibited in the unlawful sales of defeat devices; unregistered, miss branded and restricted use of pesticides; and unsafe products containing toxic chemicals. The complaint filed demonstrates that ETA will hold online retailer is responsible for the unlawful sale of products on their websites that can harm consumers and the environment.”
“Laws that prohibit selling of products that can severely harm human health and the environment apply to e-commerce retailers like eBay just as they do to brick and mortar stores. We’re committed to preventing the unlawful sale and distribution of emissions defeating devices and dangerous chemicals that, if used improperly, can lead to Daya consequences for individuals and communities”, said assistant Attorney general Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s environment and natural resources division.
The complaint also accused eBay for breaching FIFRA and unlawfully selling approximately 23,000 unregistered, misbranded and restricted pesticide products.
When eBay got notified of the lawsuit filed against it, described it as “entirely unprecedented”, and asserted that sale of the mentioned devices were prohibited and the company was actively following the rules against their sale.
The company said, “maintaining a safe and trusted marketplace for a global community of sellers and buyers is a fundamental principle of a business. Indeed, eBay is blocking a removing more than 99.9 per cent of the listings for the product cited by the Department of justice, including millions of listings each year.”
