It’s not been so many years ago that “the EPA” was like a four-letter word in Chattanooga.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency labeled us the “dirtiest” city because our foundries belched pollution into the air. Today, we marvel at the crisp, clean views and the healthy air that makes it possible to run and bike and mountain climb here – as well as attract new jobs, such as Volkswagen.
Now the EPA is again working on something to better our fair city and to protect us from ourselves and others.
U.S. authorities – the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice – have asked Volkswagen to produce electric vehicles in the company’s Chattanooga plant as a way of making up for VW’s unfair and greedy rigging of emission test results.
The German newspaper Welt am Sonntag is reporting that EPA is currently in talks with Volkswagen and also is pressuring the automaker to help build or expand a network of charging stations for electric vehicles in the United States.