California Air Resources Board

SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board (ARB) reached settlement agreements with American Power Products, CSK Auto Inc., California Auto Dealers Exchange, LLC and Homelite Consumer Products for selling engines or vehicles that do not comply with ARB certification standards.

"These enforcement actions assure that we achieve the maximum reductions possible from our regulations," said ARB Executive Officer, Catherine Witherspoon. "With public health in the balance we must continue to be vigilant."

The ARB originally cited CSK Auto Inc. (CSK), in September, 2003, for selling motorized scooters equipped with engines that were not certified by the ARB. After recalling and replacing the non-certified scooters that were being sold in Kragen Auto Parts stores throughout California, CSK was also cited in May, 2004, for selling non-certified, gas-powered, portable generators. American Power Products supplied CSK with the non-compliant parts in both cases.

CSK settled its case with a payment of $100,000 to the California Air Pollution Control Fund (APCF). American Power Products will pay four quarterly installments of $25,000 to the APCF starting in August of this year.

The California Auto Dealers Exchange, LLC, paid $62,416 to the APCF for selling off-road vehicles with non-certified engines at a dealer-only, auto auctions throughout California, in April of 2004.

In February of 2005, ARB staff visited the Homelite certification emissions test facilities in South Carolina. They concluded that the group of new engines tested did not comply with certification requirements. In addition to halting shipment of further engines from their facility, Homelite paid $500,000 to the APCF.

The APCF is used to mitigate various sources of pollution through education and the advancement and use of cleaner technology.