Trump’s EPA says it’s cracking down, but the data tells a different story

For over ten years, Hino Motors Ltd. imported and sold more than 105,000 vehicles and engines with either misleading or entirely fabricated emissions data. This deception came to light when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted tests that uncovered the emissions-fraud scheme. As a result, the Toyota subsidiary faced serious repercussions, pleading guilty and agreeing to pay over $1.6 billion in fines over a span of five years, alongside forfeiting an additional $1 billion in profits derived from these illegal sales. In a recent press release, the EPA highlighted this case while discussing its enforcement and compliance assurance results for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. The agency claimed it had closed more enforcement cases during President Donald Trump’s first year of his second term than in any year of the Biden administration. However, an analysis reveals a disconnect, as 75 percent of the 61 criminal cases adjudicated in federal court during that period were initiated prior to Trump’s second term, according to EPA records and legal documents. The penalty against Hino Motors was publicly announced on January 15, 2025, just five days before Trump's inauguration. The EPA has not responded to inquiries from Inside Climate News regarding the accuracy of its enforcement statistics. In its report, the agency stated that it concluded 2,127 civil enforcement cases in the last fiscal year, imposed over $1.2 billion in civil penalties and criminal fees, and managed to secure more than $6.4 billion aimed at helping facilities achieve compliance. Critics, however, have raised concerns about the credibility of the figures presented on the EPA's website, as they depend heavily on when investigations commenced and the nature of compliance actions, which lack detailed explanations. Tim Whitehouse, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and a former senior enforcement attorney at the EPA, criticized the release as propaganda, asserting that it does not accurately reflect the reality of the agency's actions. One significant point of contention is the enforcement of the Clean Air Act. Whitehouse noted that since the Trump administration took office, the EPA has only negotiated one settlement related to this act, a stark contrast to the 26 settlements in Trump’s first term and 22 during Biden’s first year. Enforcement actions under the Clean Air Act typically target the fossil fuel and motor vehicle sectors, which are responsible for a significant portion of air pollution. Furthermore, settlements for Superfund cleanups have also reached unprecedented lows, raising alarms about the agency's commitment to environmental protection.