No More emisson tests in Colorado? GOOD NEWS!!! | FerrariChat

No More emisson tests in Colorado? GOOD NEWS!!!

Discussion in 'Rocky Mountain' started by butch355, Dec 19, 2005.

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  1. butch355

    butch355 Karting

    Jan 27, 2005
    114
    Denver
    Full Name:
    Brent
    Did anyone else read the story about how well Denver is doing and the thoughts of getting rid of the whole program as soon as year end 2006.

    Tailpipe tests may end
    Official seeks end to program by next year
    By Kim McGuire
    Denver Post Staff Writer



    Denver-area motorists may no longer have to take their vehicles in for emissions inspections under a proposal by the state's top environmental regulator.

    Doug Benevento, the director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, has asked the state Air Quality Control Commission to consider eliminating the 10-year-old program by next year.

    If the program isn't killed, Benevento has called for changes such as increasing the number of model-year exemptions or relying more on remote sensing devices.

    The state has already deployed vans equipped with infrared and laser sensors to detect polluting cars.

    The emissions inspections, Benevento said, may no longer be needed to protect air quality in the seven-county Denver region because of better auto technology and cleaner-burning fuels.

    "At $26 million a year, this is a very expensive program," Benevento said. "It's time to ask ourselves whether we are seeing the kind of gain in air quality to justify this expense."

    On Thursday, the commission will consider taking the program out of Colorado's federally enforceable air-quality plan.

    Earlier this year, the commission voted to eliminate emissions inspections in Fort Collins, Greeley and Colorado Springs.

    To abolish the Denver program, however, the department also needs legislative approval, which probably won't happen this year, Benevento said.

    The proposal drew criticism from environmental advocates.

    "Colorado's health and environment officials have, paradoxically, devoted enormous resources to rolling back long- standing clean-air protections for industrial sources, automobiles and fuels," said Vickie Patton, a Boulder-based attorney for Environmental Defense.

    The metro area is in compliance with federal standards for fine-particle pollution, carbon monoxide and ozone, the prime ingredient in urban smog.

    The skies over Denver, however, haven't always been clean.

    In the 1970s, Denver had the worst carbon monoxide in the nation, according to state officials, and the infamous "brown cloud" was a constant presence.
    After repeatedly violating national health guidelines for air quality, the state enacted basic tailpipe-emissions testing in the early 1980s.

    That program allowed drivers to get a $9 annual emissions test at any of 900 privately run garages.

    In 1995, the state launched a tougher inspection program that measured emissions under simulated driving conditions at about 14 testing centers run by Envirotest Systems Corp.

    Current rules require that vehicles more than 4 years old get the enhanced test every two years for a fee of $25. Cars made before 1982 must get the basic test every year for $15.

    "It's the state of Colorado's program to implement, but we're very hopeful that we can continue our current partnership," said Staasi Heropoulos, a spokesman for Envirotest's parent company, Connecticut-based Environmental Systems Products Inc.

    News of the program's possible demise upset Dana Tepoel, owner of the Emissions Clinic, a Westminster car-repair shop.

    Scrapping the inspection program would hurt business and local air quality, Tepoel said.

    "This one little repair shop has fixed enough problems that you could fill up the Pepsi Center 25 times over and kill everyone in it with the amount of carbon monoxide we've detected," he said.

    Staff writer Kim McGuire can be reached at 303-820-1240 or [email protected].
     
  2. mike

    mike Formula Junior

    Nov 2, 2003
    721
    Colorado
    Full Name:
    Mike
    I think we ALL need to write to our elected officals and encourage the elimination of the inspection program...
    I know that I have personally passed over great cars, because they were euro spec cars or they lacked some of the polution equipment
     
  3. awhite

    awhite Formula 3
    BANNED

    Jul 13, 2005
    1,229
    still here
    Full Name:
    hmmmm
    give me an addy and I can pupm out a few hundred letters :)

    -a
     
  4. Roland E Linder

    Roland E Linder Formula 3

    Nov 3, 2003
    1,814
    COLORADO
    Full Name:
    Roland E Linder
    That would be nice, today's cars are clean ! the only one smoking are Volvos with a "safe our forests" stickers !!!!
    Roland
    F40LM
     
  5. ferraripanoz

    ferraripanoz Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 24, 2004
    1,409
    Full Name:
    Mark
    That is true! Also, add in the Saabs that are belching out the smoke screens. Yeah I have been noticing those emission vans around town, there is almost always one on a on ramp on C-470.
     
  6. F1 MONZA

    F1 MONZA Formula Junior

    Sep 6, 2004
    483
    California
    Full Name:
    John
    CALIFORNIA IS ONE OF THE WORST STATES WHEN IT COMES TO PULLANT CONTROLS.. SMOG TESTS ARE WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY BEING PUMPED INTO SATE AND FEDERAL TAXES.. ITS BULL ****E LAW... LIKE HAVING FRONT LICENCE PLATES BULL ****E.. I HAVE WRITTEN TO GOVERNMENT OFFICALS DMV AND LOW LIFES AT SACRAMENTO NO ANSWER NOTHING ..
    THATS HOW CALIFORNIA OPERATES IGNORE THE PEOPLE. WHEN TAX TIME ARRIVES THEY GET YOU FOR EVERY PENNY... WHISH I TOO CAN BUY CARS WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT SMOG PUMPS SUCK HORSEPOWER BY 20 PERCENT... DAMN CALIFORNIA... EVERY LAW MAKER IN CALIFORNIA IS A COWARD...
    JOHN
     
  7. Mule

    Mule F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 25, 2003
    3,750
    Alaska
    Full Name:
    Mule
    It would be nice if true, but I lived in the Springs for three years, and there were articles all the time about ending the emissions tests. I saw three before I left last May. But the article posted says the Springs stopped testing, so there is hope.

    Alaska is talking the same, saying the majority is from people idling thier cars in the driveways on cold mornings (up to an hour). Regardless of how new the cars are, that is when emmisions are worst (so the articles say). Alaska follows California's emission test standards, but the 328 passes easily.
     
  8. sherpa23

    sherpa23 F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 28, 2003
    9,992
    Rocky Mountains
    Full Name:
    Bastuna

    I agree. I'll believe it when I see it.
     
  9. Imola2001

    Imola2001 Formula Junior

    Jul 17, 2005
    889
    SoCO & SoCal
    Full Name:
    Mike C.
    I do not think we have the testing in SoCo like you all have "Up North".
     
  10. Roland E Linder

    Roland E Linder Formula 3

    Nov 3, 2003
    1,814
    COLORADO
    Full Name:
    Roland E Linder
    Being in the County, the test are way easier but I heard that Fort Collins will also drop the testing!.Time will tell but it for sure make life easier for " super" cars.
    Roland
    F40LM
     
  11. -AC

    -AC Formula Junior
    BANNED

    Dec 4, 2004
    433
    Colorado

    Same here. I bet the Watermelons will come out of the wood work to keep the tax err testing in place.
     
  12. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jan 26, 2005
    22,352
    Indian Wells, California
    Full Name:
    Jon
    I wrote my state representative about the front plate law - no response. I proposed an exemption (by application) for cars with a valid reason for not having one (i.e., how hard is it to figure out which red Ferrari 355 ran the traffic light?)

    If Denver air really is cleaned up, I hope you guys can dump the program and spend the $26M elsewhere. I'd like to see us go more high-tech about it in California, but LA-OC is so choked with cars I'm not sure that any inspections are going to solve the problem. The real problem is diesel-powered trucks and construction equipment - clouds of black filth.
     
  13. hardtop

    hardtop F1 World Champ

    Jan 31, 2002
    11,285
    Colorado
    Full Name:
    Dave
    Your comments are too subtle for me to understand, can you tell us how you really feel!?

    Dave
     
  14. hardtop

    hardtop F1 World Champ

    Jan 31, 2002
    11,285
    Colorado
    Full Name:
    Dave
    Colorado's air is vastly better than 20 years ago. I believe the diesels are required to clean up soon, but not soon enough. Some people are recommending Corning stock because they have the diesel cleanup technology.

    Dave
     
  15. hardtop

    hardtop F1 World Champ

    Jan 31, 2002
    11,285
    Colorado
    Full Name:
    Dave
    Hey colonel,
    I was going to email you yesterday. How was the winter solstice? I was curious how much daylight Anchorage gets on the solstice? Best to Heather and the 328.

    Dave
     
  16. Jer

    Jer Karting

    Jun 5, 2005
    113
    Fort Collins, CO
    Full Name:
    Jeremy Helling
    Whooo hooo!

    Half of my vehicles wouldn't pass an honest inspection/test anyway but burn cleaner than most cars from the factory based on the amount if tuning they see.
     
  17. Mule

    Mule F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 25, 2003
    3,750
    Alaska
    Full Name:
    Mule
    Just enough daylight to eat lunch, but that's about it (about 5 hours). At least my 328 is emissions-legal sitting in the garage for the next four months.
     

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