Overview
Volkswagen Group of America and certain related entities (collectively Volkswagen or VW) admitted to violating the federal Clean Air Act from 2009 through 2016 by selling nearly 590,000 2.0-liter and 3.0-liter diesel engine vehicles that utilized software designed to cheat on federal emissions tests by reporting inaccurate data on nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
Volkswagen partially settled its civil liability for these Clean Air Act violations by entering into judicial consent decrees. These judicial settlements require Volkswagen to pay more than $2.9 billion into an Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund administered by Wilmington Trust, N.A.
The State of Wisconsin is a designated beneficiary and will receive $67.1 million over the next ten years to offset the excess NOx pollution emitted by affected VW vehicles.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker named the Department of Administration as the lead agency to develop and implement a Beneficiary Mitigation Plan to utilize the Environmental Mitigation Trust funds for projects that reduce NOxemissions in Wisconsin. The State Budget, 2017 Wisconsin Act 59, appropriated $42 million of Wisconsin’s share of the Trust funds and established law directing how the funds must be used during the 2017-19 biennium. Specifically, the law requires replacement of eligible state fleet vehicles and establishment of a transit capital assistance grant program, under which DOA will create a competitive statewide grant program to award trust funds to eligible applicants for the replacement of public transit vehicles.
For more information on the Wisconsin VW Mitigation Program, CLICK HERE.
Wisconsin Clean Cities is working with members to help them achieve the greatest success through the Wisconsin VW Mitigation Program. Please contact Wisconsin Clean Cities Executive Director Lorrie Lisek at lorrie.lisek@wicleancities.org.
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