(New York) The US Department of Justice on Wednesday initiated proceedings against the online sales company eBay for violating laws on the marketing of devices that alter the control of vehicle emissions and pesticides.
The department claims in its complaint, filed in New York federal court on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that the site offered for sale between January 2017 and September 2020 more than 343,000 devices altering the control of vehicle emissions.
The marketing of these devices contravenes the federal Clean Air Act (CAA), he points out.
The American government also accuses eBay of having sold since 2016 at least 23,000 unauthorized or regulated pesticides, despite an injunction from the EPA, as well as, since November 2019, more than 5,600 items containing methylene chloride, a very toxic solvent.
“The sale by eBay of devices that impair emissions controls, pesticides and other dangerous products represents an unacceptable risk to our populations disproportionately affected by environmental and climatic hazards,” Breon Peace, prosecutor, said in a statement. for the Eastern District of New York.
The government is asking the court to order the company to stop violating air quality laws, as well as to impose fines on it for its violations of the clean air law.
eBay responded in a statement that it would “vigorously defend” itself against these accusations, ensuring that it would do everything possible to prevent the marketing of prohibited items on its site.
“eBay blocks and removes more than 99.9% of listings for products cited by the Department of Justice, including millions of listings each year,” the company claims.