Current Events > Ebay sued for selling "coal rolling" devices. Faces up to $2B fine

(+) Yeah! (+)

Ebay could be on the hook for as much as $2 billion in fines for allegedly allowing hundreds of thousands of rolling coal pollution devices and other products that violate environmental laws to be sold on its platform.

Rolling coal is the practice of installing a tampering device to pump more diesel into a vehicles engine than it can handle, leading it to spew out sooty black clouds of exhaust that pollute the air.

The practice is sometimes used as a form of anti-environmental protest. Coal rollers, or the drivers who engage in the action, may intentionally target Teslas, Priuses or other electric or hybrid vehicles.

The Department of Justice, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency, filed a lawsuit claiming that the e-commerce giant enabled the sale of more than 343,000 rolling coal devices. Each sale could spur a fine of up to $5,580 under the Clean Air Act.

Ebay denied the charges in a public statement, saying it has blocked more than 99.9% the listings for the products cited by the DOJ, including millions of listings each year.

And eBay has partnered closely with law enforcement, including the DOJ, for over two decades on identifying emerging risks and assisting with prevention and enforcement, the online retailer said.

The DOJs 61-page complaint included screenshots of emissions tampering devices that were listed on eBays platform.

Rolling coal devices are among several tools that can be used to disable or tamper with a vehicles pre-installed emissions control systems, which the EPA requires of all vehicles.

Under the Clean Air Act, tampering with a vehicles emissions control systems and selling those tampering tools are illegal. Only some states, like New Jersey, Maryland and Maine, have banned the practice in their own jurisdictions.

In addition to rolling coal products, prosecutors argue that eBay allowed the sale of more than 5,600 dangerous methylene chloride paint removers and at least 23,000 prohibited pesticide products, both of which the EPA banned for their safety hazards.

eBay has the power, the authority, and the resources to stop the sale of these illegal, harmful products on its website. It has chosen not to, prosecutors said in the filing.

Do people still roll coal?

Do people still roll coal?

anti-environmental protest

Of all the dumbest things Americans do, this is one of the top of the dumbest.

Those coal rollers should've been locked up in a room with a coal runner running.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/9/5/AAeolZAAD61D.png

I don't know about a top dumb thing. It's really dumb, and really American, but the list is so extensive it's hard to say whether it's one of the top.

Ebay that has no issues with people selling destroyed ipods as slightly used?
I highly doubt Ebay cares about people selling illegal things on Ebay, until Ebay gets caught and/or sued.

Just lock up any coal rollers for a decade and revoke their licence permanently even after they exit prison

I protest the continued existence of the environment. Something must be done!

How dogshit dumb do you have to be to be 'anti' your own environment?

It owns the libs tho

Do people still roll coal?

That was a dumb idea 10 years ago, nowadays, it's probably one of the dumbest things you can do. Climate change denial is getting to be up there with flat earthing.

TIL what coal rolling is. The fuck

Of course they do. They are also the same type of assholes that will turn around and cry that Biden is purposely raising gas prices.

Good

343000 x 5580 = 2000000000?

They should just confiscate these trucks, undo the modification at the owners expense and then sell the vehicle at auction.

I thought these kind of sites are protected because they aren't selling it, it's the users.

I thought these kind of sites are protected because they aren't selling it, it's the users.

I'm pretty sure that didn't cover illegal stuffs.

Edit: wtf, it's only illegal in 6 states?

I'm pretty sure that didn't cover illegal stuffs.

Edit: wtf, it's only illegal in 6 states?

Most states figured they'd catch you in the emissions inspection.

Do people still roll coal?

That was a dumb idea 10 years ago, nowadays, it's probably one of the dumbest things you can do. Climate change denial is getting to be up there with flat earthing.

It's top dumb because it's pure dumbassery.
Other dumb things Americans did at least has an excuse despite being a wrong excuse. This one is real stupidity and pettiness.
Even being anti-environmental, they know that the smog is a harmful pollution.

Remembering what Los Angeles looked like 30 years ago I'm certain there's an entire generation of idiots who don't know what a smoggy environment looks like.

All those silly pro-Trump flags hurt their fuel economy too.

Do people still roll coal?

That was a dumb idea 10 years ago, nowadays, it's probably one of the dumbest things you can do. Climate change denial is getting to be up there with flat earthing.

There's no way there were actually 350,000 of them sold, right?