Don’t Expect The EPA To Go Easy On Diesel Cheaters

Diesel cheaters beware: Scott Pruitt is coming for you. At least, that’s the message the head of the EPA wants out there. He told Reuters a repeat of Dieselgate won’t happen on his watch. In his own words, the agency will deal with diesel emissions violations “very aggressively.”

This could be bad news for Fiat Chrysler and Daimler. Both automakers are under EPA investigation for possible diesel emissions violations. Considering Fiat Chrysler was sued by the Justice Department in May, this warning could be specifically aimed at the company.

Pruitt really hammered home how he feels about Dieselgate. “What VW did was very, very troublesome and we need to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Reuters quoted him saying. Surprised? You’re probably not the only one. After all, plenty of watchdogs were afraid Pruitt would “gut” the EPA and sit by as companies polluted like dogs. If there’s anything backing up these words, it seems the opposite could be the reality.

Instead of ripping into the Obama administration and how it dealt with Dieselgate, Pruitt instead almost seemed complimentary. He said the settlement wasn’t too harsh. Pruitt also mentioned he’s trying to talk with CARB about its unrelenting approach to reducing vehicle emissions. We’re thin on details about how things will move forward, but the EPA probably won’t be letting just whatever slide.