Legislature Considers New Emissions Testing Schedule
Earlier today, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources discussed legislation that would require Nevada drivers to smog their vehicles every two years rather than every year and would make a vehicle 4-years-old or newer exempt from testing.
Under existing law, the Department of Motor Vehicles charges a fee of six dollars to certify emissions control compliance. A modified section of Senate Bill 147 raises the fee to 12 dollars so that the change in the required frequency of emission inspections doesn’t affect funding of the Pollution Control Account.
Moreover, existing laws charge an initial license plate fee for vehicles which are not subject to emissions control compliance. The fee is equal to the amount charged by emissions control. To prevent an increase in this additional fee, the bill would set the fee at a fixed amount of six dollars.
However, as Senator Aaron Ford noted: “This could potentially have a negative impact on business, specifically companies that check smog”
Senator Gustavson replied: “Things change over time, new technologies replace older ones. We have automobiles that do not need to be checked in the first few years, and eventually we may find automotive technology advancing to the point where we won’t need smog checks.”
Even though technology is moving quickly, and the failure rate of new vehicles is less than one percent they could still be a major contributor to pollution.
Lou Gardella, a smog shop owner, said there is an old adage to consider when discussing emissions.
“Ten percent of vehicles create 90 percent of pollution,” said Gardella. ”Although the failure rate for newer vehicles is low, it would [still] be a gross polluter, and to not check it for two years could be a serious problem”
Gardella and others who are opposed to the bill say that making changes would put Nevada out of compliance with federal emissions standard,s and the consequences would be time consuming and would affect other industries that have emission requirements, not just the automobile industry.
This article was also published in the Reno Gazette-Journal on 03.17.13.