With “defeat devices” once again in the news, thanks to yet another manufacturer failing to comply with the Clean Air Act, now seems as good a time as any to remind folks how the automotive industry is actively working to undermine the protections of the Clean Air Act and increase the use of defeat devices in passenger cars and trucks. In this case, aftermarket parts manufacturers and dealers, under their trade association, are fighting for passage of the Recognizing Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act, a bill which would cripple EPA’s ability to go after people who tamper with automotive emissions controls and one UCS has been tracking for more than three years. Since the industry continues to push this bill in session after session of Congress, let’s break down what the RPM Act does, why it keeps coming back, and why this zombie bill should be taken out and never be heard from again.
