If a Georgia resident owns a business, that business more than likely must adhere to rules and regulations that fall under a variety of federal and state agencies. Perhaps one of those agencies is the Environmental Protection Agency. The company does its best to make sure that it remains in compliance with the applicable environmental law in order to avoid civil and criminal penalties.
Not all businesses attempt to diligently remain within EPA regulations, however. For instance, it was discovered that automaker Volkswagen “cheated” in order to ensure that is diesel-powered vehicles passed emissions standards set by the agency and the state agency in which the infractions occurred. The EPA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and others accused the auto manufacturer of violating environmental laws and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act.
Those violations produced unnecessary and harmful pollution. The accusing agencies contended that Volkswagen committed fraud through lies, deception and obstruction of justice. Recently, Volkswagen pleaded guilty to three felony counts in connection with violations of the act and agreed to pay billions of dollars in both criminal and civil penalties. The automaker must also take measures to prevent further issues in the future.
When a company violates environmental laws enforced by the EPA and Georgia’s environmental agencies, it too may face criminal and civil penalties. In some instances, the results could be enough to force a company out of business. It would be beneficial to have an environmental law attorney advocate for the company, and perhaps its principals, in order to find a resolution to the problem with which everyone can live and the business can continue to thrive.
Source: epa.gov, “Reference News Release: Volkswagen Agrees to Plead Guilty, Pay $4.3 Billion in Criminal and Civil Penalties“, Julia P. Valentine, Accessed on Dec. 17, 2017