Connecticut stands to receive $14.8 million of a $157.4 million multistate settlement with auto-maker Volkswagen that resolves state claims over alleged emissions violations associated with equipment the automaker used to circumvent emissions standards.
Attorney General George Jepsen made the announcement Thursday, putting Connecticut’s total settlement at $14.8 million. Other states participating in the settlement are Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
The 10 states charged that Volkswagen violated environmental laws when it equipped certain diesel vehicles with illegal and undisclosed emissions defeat devices aimed at bypassing emissions standards, Jepsen said.
The settlement requires court approval to become effective.
Each state that is party to the lawsuit has adopted California’s stringent emission standards under section 177 of the federal Clean Air Act.
“Volkswagen lied to consumers and to regulators by stating that its vehicles were not only fuel efficient but also clean, when in reality they were neither,” said Jepsen.
The attorneys generals’ investigation confirmed that Volkswagen sold more than 570,000 2.0 and 3.0-liter diesel vehicles in the United States – including 11,911 vehicles in Connecticut – that were equipped with the defeat device software, all the while claiming its vehicles were environmentally friendly, Jepsen said.
