Yamaha penalized

Release 05-27 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 16, 2005 CONTACT:Jerry MartinGennet PaauweDimitri Stanich(916) 322-2990Karen Caesar(626) 575-6728www.arb.ca.govAttorney General Files $20 Million Complaint Against YamahaSacramento - On behalf of the Air Resources Board (ARB), the CaliforniaAttorney General's Office has filed a $20 million complaint againstYamaha Motor Corporation, USA, and two of its dealers for allegedlycircumventing air pollution control laws and importing more than 400motorcycles not certified for sale in California."We have worked extremely hard to improve California's air quality andhave made great strides," said ARB Executive Officer CatherineWitherspoon. "We simply can't afford to let manufacturers and dealerssell vehicles that do not meet our emissions standards, which is whatYamaha appears to have done.We need to send a powerful message that this will not be tolerated inCalifornia."Several dealers involved in the case have already reached mutualsettlements with the Air Resources Board. The parties that could notreach a settlement were referred to the California Attorney General'soffice for civil prosecution. The civil complaint filed in Orange CountySuperior Court seeks penalties totaling $19,610,000.00 from Yamaha MotorCorporation, USA, San Jose Yamaha, and South Seas Cycle Exchange ofHonolulu, HI.It is a violation of California law to import new motor vehicles forsale, use or registration which are not certified to meet California'sstringent emissions standards, the toughest in the nation. According tothe ARB investigation, Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, imported more than100 illegal non-California-certified motorcycles, registered them toYamaha Motor Corporation, USA in California, obtained California licenseplates, and then eventually sold some of them to California residents.In most cases, these were popular motorcycles that were in great demandand were hard to acquire in California.It was also discovered during the investigation that representativesfrom Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA were informing their dealers inCalifornia that if they needed these specific models they could obtainillegal, non-California-certified versions from other Yamaha dealersoutside of California. One dealer imported nearly 200 and sold all ofthem to California residents."We regret having to resort to litigation in this case, but it wasnecessary because our negotiations failed to reach a settlement. We arehoping that this case will have a deterrent effect on manufacturers anddealers who may intend to elude our strong emissions laws," addedWitherspoon.The Air Resources Board is a department of the California EnvironmentalProtection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and protect publichealth, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction ofair pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy.The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California toattain and maintain health based air quality standards.