More owners of new vehicles could soon see a less expensive inspection bill. But federal authorities must first be convinced that lifting the requirement won’t harm the state’s air quality. Vehicle owners in the state’s 48 most urban counties, including Gaston, now have to pay $30 for an annual emissions and safety inspection. The state gets part of that while inspection stations keep the bulk of the money.
Under current rules, vehicles don’t have to receive the emissions check until they are more than a year old. Last year, then-Gov. Bev Perdue signed a bill into law that would loosen the requirement. It would exempt cars and light-duty trucks from the emissions inspection, provided they are fewer than three years old and have fewer than 70,000 miles on the odometer.
It was an effort to eliminate tests that state officials deemed unnecessary, said Tom Mather, spokesman for the N.C. Division of Air Quality. “There was quite a bit of data we collected and analyzed,” he said. “We did a very detailed study.” The change could take effect in 2014. But the details must first be approved by the state’s Environmental Management Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“The EPA’s primary concern is that this change … not result in any degradation of air quality,” Mather said.
Effect of the change: The N.C. Division of Air Quality held a public hearing on the revised plan this week in Raleigh. The division will also accept written comments through Oct. 14. The change would spare owners of new cars the cost of annual emissions inspections but they would still have to pay to have headlights, tires, windshield wipers and other parts scrutinized once a year.
North Carolina has about 8.5 million registered vehicles. Based on the current number that are three years old and newer, inspection stations in the state’s high-emission counties could lose millions, according to the Division of Air Quality study. The state would also lose money.
The Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury area currently has more air pollution than regulations technically allow. But state leaders don’t believe the new law would further harm air quality.
Mixed reaction: At Clark Tire in Gastonia, Manager Chris Lampkin said mechanics perform 100 to 125 inspections a month. “That correlates to about an eighth of our business,” he said. Lampkin said there are still things that can go wrong with a vehicle’s emissions system, even if it’s not yet three years old. As it is, many drivers already have a tendency to see the “check engine” light illuminate and not have it checked immediately, ignoring a potential emissions issue. He fears the new law might make things worse.
“A lot of people get confused when they see their ‘check engine’ light on,” he said. “I have quite a few customers who have ridden around not knowing they had a problem with their vehicle, when they actually had some form of an emissions problem.”
Quite a few problems with a vehicle can trigger trouble in the emissions system, Lampkin said. “It can relate to anything from a sparkplug to a hose having a hole in it,” he said. Robert Blake, owner of B&W Tire and Auto Service in Belmont, has always questioned the state’s decision to require only vehicle owners in the 48 most urban counties to get annual emissions inspections. He also said car and truck manufacturers don’t play by the rules. They design many new vehicles to indicate a mechanical problem is affecting the emissions system when it’s not, he said.
Blake said the loss of inspection money won’t substantially hurt his business. He feels more strongly that the proposed change would provide an unfair benefit to people with newer cars and trucks. “You’re kind of penalizing people who can’t afford new cars,” he said. “It seems to me that’s not quite fair.”
You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or twitter.com/GazetteMike.
Savings vs. cost
$16.40
That’s what individual owners of newer vehicles would save every year if the state gets rid of emissions tests for vehicles fewer than 3 years old
$13.60
The amount those drivers will still have pay for yearly inspections
$10.3 million
Based on the current number of North Carolina vehicles that are three years old or newer, that’s how much state inspection stations stand to lose annually
$2.35 million
The amount the state would cease to collect under new rules that loosen emission test requirements on newer vehicles
Source: Division of Air Quality
For every $30 that you spend each year on a vehicle safety and emissions inspection, $6.25 goes to the state, while $23.75 goes to the inspection station. Here’s how the state distributes the money:
Recipient Amount per inspection
Highway Fund $0.55
Emissions Program Account $3.00
Telecommunications Account $1.75
Volunteer Rescue/EMS Fund $0.18
Rescue Squad Workers Relief Fund $0.12
Division of Air Quality $0.65
(Total) $6.25
Want to weigh in?
Email comments: Joelle.Burleson@ncdenr.gov
Mail comments:Joelle Burleson, Division of Air Quality, 1641 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1641