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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan. 10, 2008 |
CONTACT Christopher Dann
Public Information Officer, Air Pollution Control Division |
Colorado Debuts Roadside Emissions Testing to Identify High-Polluting VehiclesDENVER---High-polluting vehicles, identified by roadside testing equipment as they are driven, now are subject to additional inspection and, if needed, mandatory repairs as part of the auto emissions testing program in the Denver-metropolitan area. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment today sent out the first batch of notification letters to the owners of potentially high-polluting vehicles, requiring them to contact the department for a more detailed compliance inspection. “The identification of high-polluting vehicles is an important part of Colorado’s continued effort to improve air quality in the Denver-metropolitan area,” said James Martin, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “It also is indicative of the state’s commitment to an effective and efficient auto emissions program.” The identification of high-polluting vehicles is the result of legislation passed by the Colorado General Assembly in 2006. Using existing roadside testing equipment that also is used to identify exceptionally clean-operating vehicles and exempt them from a standard emissions inspection, the new component of the emissions program seeks to identify those vehicles that pollute disproportionately to the rest of the vehicle fleet. Department officials indicate that approximately 25 to 35 vehicles will be identified weekly during the implementation phase. Vehicle owners will be notified by mail and instructed how to make an appointment for further inspection. Compliance inspections will be performed using the I/M240 emissions test, the same emissions test given at Air Care Colorado testing facilities operated by Envirotest Systems under contract with the state of Colorado. Should the compliance inspection validate the roadside data, the identified vehicle must be repaired or the owner could face the suspension of vehicle registration and subsequent fines. “The concept here is to identify the high-polluting vehicles as they are driven and have them repaired or scrapped,” Martin said. “These vehicles eventually would be identified when their next regularly scheduled emissions inspection is due upon registration renewal. However, through this effort, we can identify many polluting vehicles off-cycle and get them fixed right away, thereby benefiting air quality.” If a compliance inspection indicates a vehicle was misidentified and is not high-polluting, that vehicle will be exempt from further roadside testing for the remainder of the implementation phase. All compliance inspections are free to the motorist. “There may be certain variables that can impact whether a high roadside test reading actually means that a vehicle is broken and needs to be repaired,” said Garry Kaufman, program manager for the Mobile Sources section of the department’s Air Pollution Control Division. “That’s one reason why the compliance inspection is needed. It protects the motorist and provides more detailed and extensive data on the vehicle’s emissions than can be collected by the roadside equipment. This also helps with the repair process so that the appropriate and necessary repairs are made.” Vehicles that fail both a roadside test and a subsequent compliance inspection are subject to the same requirements that vehicles failing a regularly scheduled emissions inspection at one of the Envirotest-operated facilities face. A vehicle owner is required by law to have the vehicle repaired and then bring the vehicle back for a follow-up compliance inspection to confirm that repairs have been made and were successful. If the vehicle still is unable to comply, the owner may be eligible for a waiver from future inspection for the remainder of the registration cycle if at least $715 of documented repairs have been performed. Waivers allow vehicles to be driven legally until the next regular emissions inspection is due. A vehicle owner also may be eligible for a one-time-only financial hardship waiver if he or she can provide evidence of such hardship. The financial hardship waiver only will be granted one time per household and is only good for one registration cycle. Another option available to motorists seeking repairs for high-polluting vehicles is the Regional Air Quality Council’s Repair Your Air Program. Repair Your Air provides subsidized repairs at selected Denver-metropolitan area repair facilities. For more information, motorists can either contact the Air Care Colorado hotline at 303-456-7090 or visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Web site at http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/ap/highpolluter.html . ---30--- |
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