Opinion ID: 426343
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: conclusion

Text: 77 The EPA, with minimal guidance from Congress, has promulgated the certification regulations mandated by section 207(a)(2) of the Clean Air Act. The agency faced a difficult task in balancing the competing economic interests of parts and vehicle manufacturers, Congress' concern that consumers be insulated from protracted battles over the performance of their cars' emissions systems, and the overriding purpose of the Clean Air Act to ensure the high quality of the air we breathe. In general, we uphold the agency's certification scheme and commend its efforts to work with representatives of the affected industry to develop a workable and effective program. The certification regulations fall short, however, in their failure to address the practical effects of the certification and performance warranty requirements on various segments of the affected industries. 78 The standards for certification and the broad scope of certification envisioned by EPA are consistent with the applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act. The agency acted within its statutory authority in proposing a reimbursement scheme, but its failure to address important deficiencies in that scheme was arbitrary and capricious. Finally, the blanket exclusion of specialty parts from the certification program and the rejection of the use of short tests as a basis for certification were arbitrary and capricious. We have considered the other claims raised by petitioners and find them to be without merit. 79 We remand to the agency for development of a fair and workable reimbursement scheme. Without such a scheme, vehicle manufacturers cannot be held liable for performance warranty claims triggered by the failure of a certified part. With regard to the labelling and identification of certified parts, we direct the agency to determine the feasibility of requiring labels to be durable. We also remand for reasoned explanations of the agency's decisions to prohibit specialty parts from participating in the program through the FTP method of certification and to reject the use of short tests as an alternative basis for certification. Because we hold that vehicle manufacturers will be liable for the failure of a certified part only if a workable reimbursement scheme is set up, MVMA's claim that the performance warranty requirement takes their property without just compensation, in violation of the Fifth Amendment, is without merit. We affirm the certification regulations in part, and vacate those portions dealing with the reimbursement scheme, the treatment of specialty parts (including the role of short tests as an alternative basis for certification), and the labelling requirements. 80 It is so ordered. 81