Victory for Clean Air Federal Court Rules UPHE’s Lawsuit Against TAP Worldwide LLC (Owner of 4 Wheel Parts) Can Move Forward

Salt Lake City, UT –Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment scored another victory for clean air in federal court yesterday, securing its right to sue TAP Worldwide LLC (parent company Polaris), owner of 4 Wheel Parts stores in Utah, for allegedly selling and installing aftermarket exhaust kits and electronic tuners that increase harmful emissions from vehicles.    

Today the court denied TAP’s motion to dismiss UPHE Clean Air Act enforcement case, allowing UPHE to seek civil penalties and other relief to address TAP’s alleged sales of prohibited emission control defeat parts, and TAP’s alleged tampering with federally-required emission control devices.   

“The courts have now confirmed that citizen groups like ours have the right to sue businesses that sell illegal products or services that cause significant increases in emissions from vehicle tail pipes. On behalf of every person on the Wasatch Front UPHE intends to continue to enforce the law against these companies, including the Polaris-owned TAP Worldwide and its 4 Wheel Parts stores in Utah.” said Dr. Brian Moench, Founder and President of UPHE. 

Mobile source emissions like car and truck emissions represent nearly 50% of our total pollution in the Wasatch Front, and vehicles that have had their emission controls removed — like catalytic converters — are health hazards.  They are rolling super-spreaders. We need to get these tampered, high polluting vehicles off the road, and stop companies from selling illegal emission control defeat parts that only increase the unhealthy air we’re all forced to breathe,” said Jonny Vasic, Executive Director, UPHE   

TAP Worldwide LLC, whose parent company is a household name, Polaris, operates a national chain of more than 90 stores. The court’s decision comes on the heels of the recent Circuit Court ruling against the Diesel Brothers who were sued by UPHE for similar violations.