68gtxman
I used to reMember
The state is eliminating the requirement for older passenger cars to have a tailpipe emissions test every two years, a move that has drawn criticism from some environmentalists concerned about the states air quality.
The tailpipe test currently is required for passenger cars from model year 1995 and older, and the fleet of such vehicles on the road is shrinking, diminishing the value of maintaining the tailpipe test system, said Sandy Grossman, a spokeswoman with the state Motor Vehicle Commission.
Of the 7 million vehicles currently registered in New Jersey, only about 200,000 remain that are still required to have tailpipe emissions tests. And of those, only 15 percent or 30,000 fail the test, Grossman said. Every month, about 3,500 of the older vehicles are taken off the roads anyway, she said.
Tests on newer model cars those from 1996 on have no tailpipe emissions test. Instead, emissions inspections involve tapping into each vehicles built-in onboard diagnostics system.
Such systems, which became standardized in 1996, are capable of pinpointing any emissions issue, including any evaporative emissions from gas caps, said Larry Hajna, a spokesman with the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The DEP has worked with the state Motor Vehicle Commission to make the changes, which take effect May 1.
The changes have drawn fire from some environmentalists. The Christie administration is siding with polluting old cars over protecting public health and environment, said Jeff Tittel with the New Jersey Sierra Club. This will affect people in urban areas the most. New Jersey still has some of the worst air pollution in the nation.
The state does continue to fail federal standards for ozone, a pollutant related in part to auto emissions. Last year, it exceeded the daily ozone standard of 75 parts per billion on 19 different days. And the Obama administration has introduced a plan to make the ozone standard even more stringent, at 70 parts per billion.
Ozone is formed on warm days when nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds chemically react in the atmosphere. Major sources of nitrogen oxide in New Jersey are power plants in upwind states, such as Pennsylvania and Ohio, that burn coal. The other element for ozone volatile organic compounds come from the tailpipes of cars and trucks, and New Jersey is a major transportation corridor.
Ozone can cause shortness of breath, damage airways and aggravate lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Exposure can also increase the risk of premature death from heart or lung disease.
Some later-model SUVs, pickups and other larger vehicle that have been required to undergo tailpipe tests will also fall under the new exemption. The state will send owners of all exempted vehicles a notice six to eight weeks before their vehicle would have been due for inspection.
Cathleen Lewis, director of public affairs with AAA Northeast, cautioned that owners of older cars should still get their cars checked by their mechanic if they detect an odd smell or see emissions coming from the tailpipe. If youre seeing emissions, somethings seriously wrong with your car, and that could lead to safety concerns, not only for you but for others on the road, because you could end up breaking down in the roadway, she said.
Monica Mazurek, an expert on urban air pollution at Rutgers University, said that the cessation of tailpipe emission testing shifts the burden of compliance and meeting emission standards to the vehicle owner. Maintaining good performance of vehicles will be the responsibility of owners, which may or may not happen. We wont really know the effect of the aggregate behavior of New Jersey motor vehicle owners until the air quality monitoring results show no negative impact on nitrogen oxide and VOC emissions.
Mazurek said ozone issues may increase and visibility may decrease as a result of the move, although the state air-quality models indicate otherwise.
The state will need to submit its rule changes to the federal Environmental Protection Agency for approval, and demonstrate that they will not interfere with its ability to attain or maintain any of EPAs air quality standards, said EPA spokeswoman Mary Mears.
Still, New York State and other urban areas across the nation that dont meet the ozone standard have already eliminated tailpipe emissions testing for older vehicles, with approval from the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-will-eliminate-tailpipe-emissions-tests-for-older-cars-1.1534736
Hooray!!!
The tailpipe test currently is required for passenger cars from model year 1995 and older, and the fleet of such vehicles on the road is shrinking, diminishing the value of maintaining the tailpipe test system, said Sandy Grossman, a spokeswoman with the state Motor Vehicle Commission.
Of the 7 million vehicles currently registered in New Jersey, only about 200,000 remain that are still required to have tailpipe emissions tests. And of those, only 15 percent or 30,000 fail the test, Grossman said. Every month, about 3,500 of the older vehicles are taken off the roads anyway, she said.
Tests on newer model cars those from 1996 on have no tailpipe emissions test. Instead, emissions inspections involve tapping into each vehicles built-in onboard diagnostics system.
Such systems, which became standardized in 1996, are capable of pinpointing any emissions issue, including any evaporative emissions from gas caps, said Larry Hajna, a spokesman with the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The DEP has worked with the state Motor Vehicle Commission to make the changes, which take effect May 1.
The changes have drawn fire from some environmentalists. The Christie administration is siding with polluting old cars over protecting public health and environment, said Jeff Tittel with the New Jersey Sierra Club. This will affect people in urban areas the most. New Jersey still has some of the worst air pollution in the nation.
The state does continue to fail federal standards for ozone, a pollutant related in part to auto emissions. Last year, it exceeded the daily ozone standard of 75 parts per billion on 19 different days. And the Obama administration has introduced a plan to make the ozone standard even more stringent, at 70 parts per billion.
Ozone is formed on warm days when nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds chemically react in the atmosphere. Major sources of nitrogen oxide in New Jersey are power plants in upwind states, such as Pennsylvania and Ohio, that burn coal. The other element for ozone volatile organic compounds come from the tailpipes of cars and trucks, and New Jersey is a major transportation corridor.
Ozone can cause shortness of breath, damage airways and aggravate lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Exposure can also increase the risk of premature death from heart or lung disease.
Some later-model SUVs, pickups and other larger vehicle that have been required to undergo tailpipe tests will also fall under the new exemption. The state will send owners of all exempted vehicles a notice six to eight weeks before their vehicle would have been due for inspection.
Cathleen Lewis, director of public affairs with AAA Northeast, cautioned that owners of older cars should still get their cars checked by their mechanic if they detect an odd smell or see emissions coming from the tailpipe. If youre seeing emissions, somethings seriously wrong with your car, and that could lead to safety concerns, not only for you but for others on the road, because you could end up breaking down in the roadway, she said.
Monica Mazurek, an expert on urban air pollution at Rutgers University, said that the cessation of tailpipe emission testing shifts the burden of compliance and meeting emission standards to the vehicle owner. Maintaining good performance of vehicles will be the responsibility of owners, which may or may not happen. We wont really know the effect of the aggregate behavior of New Jersey motor vehicle owners until the air quality monitoring results show no negative impact on nitrogen oxide and VOC emissions.
Mazurek said ozone issues may increase and visibility may decrease as a result of the move, although the state air-quality models indicate otherwise.
The state will need to submit its rule changes to the federal Environmental Protection Agency for approval, and demonstrate that they will not interfere with its ability to attain or maintain any of EPAs air quality standards, said EPA spokeswoman Mary Mears.
Still, New York State and other urban areas across the nation that dont meet the ozone standard have already eliminated tailpipe emissions testing for older vehicles, with approval from the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-will-eliminate-tailpipe-emissions-tests-for-older-cars-1.1534736
Hooray!!!
