Vehicle inspections end in Clark, Floyd Counties
Here is a memo sent out from the Governor's office related to emissions testing. This is a lot of money that will be saved for the State. We just hope the savings leads to something worthwhile. I wonder if there has been any significant health benefits for the cost of this program over the years.?
INDIANAPOLIS (January 2, 2007) - The vehicle inspection and maintenance program in Clark and Floyd counties ended on December 31. As first announced in May, Governor Mitch Daniels said the testing program, Clean Air Car Check, is no longer needed to maintain compliance with the health-based federal ozone air quality standards for the two counties.
"Any day we can return a dollar in lower taxes or a little bit more freedom to Hoosiers is a good day. Vehicle inspections may once have made sense, but there was no longer any good reason for government to impose any burden of cost or lost time on the people of Clark and Floyd counties. I only wish Jim Bottorff could have been here to join us in this announcement," said Daniels.
Vehicles registered in Clark and Floyd counties account for only a small percent of the total vehicle traffic in the metropolitan area and have a minimal impact on local air quality. The testing station in Floyd County closed in November, and the Clark County station closed at the end of the year.
"Hoosiers have invested heavily in clean air and proved it through more than a decade of clean fuels and vehicle testing," said Thomas W. Easterly, Indiana Department of Environmental Management commissioner. "It's time to liberate the economy of Clark and Floyd counties from unneeded testing and restraints."
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management conducted a hearing in June to accept public comment about the redesignation of Clark and Floyd counties as attainment for ozone. The petition for redesignation has been submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with a demonstration that the area will continue to meet the federal ozone air quality standard without the inspection and maintenance program.
Office of the Governor media contact: Jane Jankowski, 317/232-1622, mailto:jjankowski@gov.in.gov
IDEM media contact: Amy Hartsock, 317/233-4927, mailto:ahartsoc@idem.in.gov
Eric Holcomb
Director, Intergovernmental Affairs
Governor Mitch Daniels
mailto:eholcomb@gov.in.gov
INDIANAPOLIS (January 2, 2007) - The vehicle inspection and maintenance program in Clark and Floyd counties ended on December 31. As first announced in May, Governor Mitch Daniels said the testing program, Clean Air Car Check, is no longer needed to maintain compliance with the health-based federal ozone air quality standards for the two counties.
"Any day we can return a dollar in lower taxes or a little bit more freedom to Hoosiers is a good day. Vehicle inspections may once have made sense, but there was no longer any good reason for government to impose any burden of cost or lost time on the people of Clark and Floyd counties. I only wish Jim Bottorff could have been here to join us in this announcement," said Daniels.
Vehicles registered in Clark and Floyd counties account for only a small percent of the total vehicle traffic in the metropolitan area and have a minimal impact on local air quality. The testing station in Floyd County closed in November, and the Clark County station closed at the end of the year.
"Hoosiers have invested heavily in clean air and proved it through more than a decade of clean fuels and vehicle testing," said Thomas W. Easterly, Indiana Department of Environmental Management commissioner. "It's time to liberate the economy of Clark and Floyd counties from unneeded testing and restraints."
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management conducted a hearing in June to accept public comment about the redesignation of Clark and Floyd counties as attainment for ozone. The petition for redesignation has been submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with a demonstration that the area will continue to meet the federal ozone air quality standard without the inspection and maintenance program.
Office of the Governor media contact: Jane Jankowski, 317/232-1622, mailto:jjankowski@gov.in.gov
IDEM media contact: Amy Hartsock, 317/233-4927, mailto:ahartsoc@idem.in.gov
Eric Holcomb
Director, Intergovernmental Affairs
Governor Mitch Daniels
mailto:eholcomb@gov.in.gov
posted by Anonymous at 6:04 AM
5 Comments:
I believe that vehicle emissions are one, of if not the, most significant factor in local air quality. Lowering emission standards would therefore lead to worse air quality. As per usual the state leadership talks about the benefits to industry when we lower environmental standards, nary a word about the adverse effect on public health. We should be raising standards, NOT LOWERING THEM.
Pot smoking also polutes the air which has an adverse effect on public health.
Why should the govermnent punish the drivers of cars by making them go through emission testing every other year when the big polluters are exempt?
Large trucks, buses, and motorcycles did not have to be tested. If you don't believe the pollute the air try driving behind one.
I am glad the testing was eliminated. It was never fair in the first place.
There are Federal emissions standards that are more than adequate. The emissions have declined as older vehicles leave the roadways and are replaced by new ones. The emission testing was more about jobs creation than the environment.
I would be more concerned about the lack of safety inspections on vehichles in this state..there are more vehichles being driven with cracked windshields, squealing brakes and noisy mufflers (and lack of mufflers at times)in this state..If anything a inspection plan should be done on ALL vehichles. trucks and buses included
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