Volkswagen Settlements To Give $85 Million to Oregon

Oregon will receive $85 million from German automaker Volkswagen, Governor Kate Brown and Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced Tuesday.

It's a result of two settlements - one federal and one state - stemming from Volkswagen's admission that it had cheated on emissions tests.

In all, the automaker has agreed to pay more than $15 billion in settlements.

As part of the federal settlement, Oregon will receive $68 million that Volkswagen will pay into a trust supporting diesel emission reduction programs.

That settlement also includes up to $10 billion for some 475,000 owners of VW and Audi diesel cars who taught they were buying environmentally-friendly cars but weren't.

A separate settlement - with 38 states including Oregon - requires Volkswagen to pay $570 million for violating state laws that forbid unfair or deceptive trade practices.

Oregon, which was one of six states to lead this part of the investigation, will receive $17 million from that settlement.

The other states leading the investigation were: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Tennessee, and Washington.

Oregon has the highest per-capita ownership of affected Volkswagen vehicles in the United States.

"The EPA estimates as many as 400 Oregonians sicken or die each year from respiratory and cardiac disease caused by exposure to diesel emissions, which are also linked to certain cancers," Governor Brown said.

"I am committed to putting the settlement funds to work immediately to protect the health of Oregonians, both now and in the future."

The settlement requires Volkswagen to establish a restitution and recall program.

That affects 13,015 owners and leasees of Volkswagen vehicles in Oregon.

“Many Oregonians purchased these vehicles because VW advertised the cars as legitimate ‘green vehicles’ — when in reality they were some of the dirtiest cars on the road,” said Attorney General Rosenblum

As part of the settlement, Volkswagen is also paying $20 million for the states to reimburse them for investigative costs and setting up a fund they can use for future investigations regarding emissions, automaker compliance, and consumer protection.

To find more details on the settlement and whether you might be eligible, head to this website set up by the Federal Trade Commission.