This case addresses violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) by OWT Industries, Inc., a power tools importer and distributor operating out of Anderson, South Carolina. OWT is a subsidiary of Hong Kong based Techtronic Industries Company, Ltd. During the early part of 2011, OWT imported 9,720 engines of which it sold and subsequently delivered 3,088 to a third party retailer.
The emission control information labels on these engines were removable without being destroyed or defaced and therefore did not comply with the Clean Air Act and associated standards in 40 C.F.R. section 90.114.
As part of its agreement with EPA, OWT paid a penalty to the US Treasury of $20,000 and relabeled the 6,632 engines which had not already been sold.