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Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Settlement

Volkswagen has agreed to settle allegations that it violated the federal Clean Air Act by installing “defeat devices” on 2.0 and 3.0 diesel vehicles. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) determined that the affected vehicles exceeded federal emission standards for nitrogen oxide (NOx), a pollutant that is known to harm public health and contribute to ozone or smog formation. Under two partial consent decrees issued by DOJ, states will receive settlement funds equivalent to the number of registered 2.0 and 3.0 diesel vehicles. For Maine, this equates to just over $21 million, which, according to the settlement, must be used to offset existing NOx emissions.

Timeline

The timeline as outlined in Appendix D, of the first partial consent decree, is contingent on the trust effective date, which is determined by when the trustee is approved, followed by when the US files the executed trust agreement with the court.

Once there is a trust effective date, states have 60 days to submit the beneficiary certification form required to accept the settlement funds.
After being deemed a beneficiary, states have 90 days to submit their plan to the trustee.
The court appointed the trustee on March 15, 2017.

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