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newsrel -- Southern California importer of off-highway vehicles ordered to pay $250,000 judgment

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 15:56:15
Importer illegally sold uncertified vehicles to statewide
dealership 

. NEWS RELEASE 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release #:11-04

Date:01/18/2011

CONTACT: Mary Fricke
ARB PIO: (916) 322-2990
OR 916-322-2638
mfricke@arb.ca.gov

Southern California importer of off-highway vehicles ordered to
pay $250,000 judgment 
Importer illegally sold uncertified vehicles to statewide
dealership 

EL MONTE, CA - 
An investigation by the Air Resources Board led to a $250,000
judgment issued in October 2010 by the San Bernardino County
Court against Montclair, Calif. based NST, Inc. for the illegal
sales of uncertified off-highway vehicles.

ARB investigators found NST, Inc., also known as New Star, owned
by John Cheng, illegally sold at least 52 off-highway
recreational vehicles such as ATVs, dirt bikes and go-karts to
California dealerships starting around May 2006. Investigators
discovered the illegal sales while conducting routine dealer
inspections.

“California has clean air laws in place to protect residents from
these recreational vehicles that can pollute up to 100 times more
than a passenger car," said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols.
"Businesses that sell equipment and vehicles illegally will pay
penalties, especially businesses that are repeat offenders.”

NST was issued a Notice of Violation for selling ARB
non-certified vehicles. Because a settlement could not be
reached, the case was referred to the San Bernardino County
District Attorney's Office for prosecution. A judgment was
ultimately entered in the amount of $250,000 for Health and
Safety Code and Business and Professions Code violations. 

In 2006 NST settled with ARB for $80,000 for the importation,
sale and delivery of non-certified pocket bikes and scooters.
Because the owner of the company was a repeat violator, ARB
officials sought the highest financial penalty in the 2010 case.


Additionally, dealerships and distributors throughout California
that bought from NST and subsequently sold the illegal vehicles
to consumers were also cited. 

Vehicles that do not meet California's tough emission
requirements pose a real danger to residents. They create higher
amounts of smog-forming pollutants, which can then exacerbate
respiratory ailments and negatively affect other health
conditions such as shortness of breath, headaches, birth defects,
cancer or damage to internal organs. Smog is a combination of
smoke and other particulates, ozone, hydrocarbons, nitrogen
oxides and other chemically reactive compounds which, under
certain conditions of weather and sunlight, may result in a murky
brown haze. The primary source of smog in California is motor
vehicles.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and
protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through
effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and
considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air
pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain
health based air quality standards.

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