Ohio EPA accepting public comments on preliminary factors in plan to use VW settlement

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) is currently accepting public comments on its proposed plan for using the state’s share of the settlement funds derived from the cases against Volkswagen AG and its subsidiaries.
 
The automaker and its subsidiaries will spend $14.7 billion to settle over their alleged use of defeat devices on 2.0 liter diesel vehicles from model year 2009 to 2015, which ensured the vehicles passed emissions tests when their actual emissions were well over allowable limits.

Through the settlement, Ohio expects to receive $71.4 million over 10 years, which will go toward efforts to improve air quality, reduce public exposure to diesel pollutants and promote clean vehicle technologies.
 
The Ohio EPA is currently working on preliminary facets of its plan to accomplish those goals, which it will submit to a national Mitigation Trust Fund.

Settlement terms require state plans to use the funding to work in areas that are most affected by diesel emissions, which the Ohio EPA has selected based on concerning air quality, historical levels of diesel emissions and the amount of VW vehicles registered that had the defeat devices.
 
The agency is accepting early stakeholder comments on the map and its preliminary mitigation planning through Dec. 31.