(a) Notwithstanding the fact that any certification vehicle(s) may comply with other provisions of this subpart, the Administrator may withhold or deny the issuance of a certificate of conformity (or suspend or revoke any such certificate which has been issued) with respect to any such vehicle(s) if:

(1) The manufacturer submits false or incomplete information in his application for certification thereof; or

(2) The manufacturer renders inaccurate or invalid any test data which he submits pertaining thereto or otherwise circumvents the intent of the Act or of this subpart with respect to such vehicle; or

(3) Any EPA Enforcement Officer is denied access on the terms specified in §86.441 to any facility or portion thereof which contains any of the following:

(i) The vehicle, or

(ii) Any components used or considered for use in its modification or build-up into a certification vehicle, or

(iii) Any production vehicle which is or will be claimed by the manufacturer to be covered by the certificate, or

(iv) Any step in the construction of a vehicle described in paragraph (c) of this section, or

(v) Any records, documents, reports, or histories required by this part to be kept concerning any of the above.

(4) Any EPA Enforcement Officer is denied “reasonable assistance” (as defined in §86.444) in examining any of the items listed in paragraph (a)(1)(iii) of this section.

(b) The sanctions of withholding, denying, revoking, or suspending of a certificate may be imposed for the reasons in paragraph (a) of this section only when the infraction is substantial.

(c) In any case in which a manufacturer knowingly submits false or inaccurate information, or knowingly renders inaccurate or invalid any test data, or commits any fraudulent acts and such acts contribute substantially to the Administrator's decision to issue a certificate of conformity, the Administrator may deem such certificate void ab initio.

(d) In any case in which certification of a vehicle is proposed to be withheld, denied, revoked, or suspended under paragraph (a) (3) or (4) of this section, and in which the Administrator has presented to the manufacturer involved reasonable evidence that a violation of §86.441 in fact occurred, the manufacturer, if the wishes to contend that, even though the violation occurred, the vehicle in question was not involved in the violation to a degree that would warrant withholding, denial, revocation, or suspension of certification under either paragraph (a) (3) or (4) of this section, shall have the burden of establishing that contention to the satisfaction of the Administrator.

(e) Any revocation or suspension of certification under paragraph (a) of this section shall:

(1) Be made only after the manufacturer concerned has been offered an opportunity for a hearing conducted in accordance with §86.444 hereof.

(2) Extend no further than to forbid the introduction into commerce of vehicles previously covered by the certification which are still in the hands of the manufacturer, except in cases of such fraud or other misconduct as makes the certification invalid ab initio.

(f) The manufacturer may request in the form and manner specified in §86.443 that any determination made by the Administrator under paragraph (a) of this section to withhold or deny certification be reviewed in a hearing conducted in accordance with §86.444. If the Administrator finds, after a review of the request and supporting data, that the request raises a substantial factual issue, he will grant the request with respect to such issue.

[42 FR 1126, Jan. 5, 1977, as amended at 42 FR 56738, Oct. 28, 1977]