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Seattle marine engine dealer agrees to pay penalty, change engines in federal clean air case

Release Date: 12/05/2013
Contact Information: Mark MacIntyre, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-7302, macintyre.mark@epa.gov; John Keenan, EPA Air Enforcement, 206-553-1817, keenan.john@epa.gov

(Seattle – December 5, 2013) Rabaul Diesel Inc., of Seattle, Washington (also known as RDI Marine) has agreed to pay penalties and replace or modify six marine diesel engines that violated federal clean air rules. The engines were installed on six commercial fishing vessels destined for use in Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

According to settlement details, the six diesel engines were certified for recreational, not commercial use. Title II of the federal Clean Air Act requires that only engines that are certified for commercial operation be installed in new commercial vessels. The different requirements for recreational and commercial marine diesel engines reflect how much air pollution the engines may produce when used as designated over the course of their lifetime.

RDI Marine has agreed to replace the engines with compliant engines or modify the engines to make them identical in all respects to compliant commercial engines. As part of the settlement, RDI Marine also agreed to pay a $39,000 civil penalty.

More information about Clean Air Act marine engine requirements: https://www.epa.gov/oar/caa/title2.html