AFSCME 3357-HOF'S BLOG

EPA spares Detroit auto emissions testing

In what was probably an election year political gift, the Environmental Protection Agency spared Detroit from mandated emission testing. IMHO the whole country should go through emissions testing. Why? Just about every new vehicle right now is an LEV (Low Emission Vehicle), ULEV (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) or PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle - don't ask). Even the most polluting of these, the LEV emits thousands of times less pollution than the common POSV (Piece of S--t Vehicle). If we get rid of the POSVs, then we won't have to spend as much money on ever lower new car emission technology to get the same gains. To get rid of the old polluters, we gotta test.

Emission testing programs are political footballs because the people with the most polluting vehicles tend to be poor and utterly dependent on their vehicles. Any emission testing program should include government backed loans for fixing vehicles and incentives for getting the polluters off the road.


EPA gives Metro Detroit a reprieve from auto emissions testing - 9/16/04