Emissions Standards And Testing

In more recent centuries, there has been a rise in concern for improvement in air quality especially in regards to the public health and protecting the environment. This entails us to decrease the amount of air pollution by ultimately implementing specific laws, regulations, government policies and overall "rules" in which actors have to obey by.

Probably one of or the most known modern, federal law in the United States concerning air quality is the Clean Air Act (CAA). From their four decade and ongoing track record, CAA was first established in 1963 to regulate and control emissions; throughout the years, they have created several amendments and added various programs to better regulate emissions in the U.S.


Specifically, CAA authorized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), known as the "regulatory agency", to develop and enforce emission standards. CAA authorizes EPA to achieve emission standards by establishing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the states along with state implementation plans (SIPS). EPA has put in place a wide variety of emission standards for mobile sources such as cars and trucks to non-mobile sources to reduce carbon dioxide and other hazardous air pollutants. To learn more about EPA's specific emission regulations in what is known as the Code of Federal Regulations, where manufacturers must follow test procedures, you can read this link (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=160c067fb376f877ea61c20bfb974fbc&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title40/40tab_02.tpl). EPA uses an integrated approach by working and collaborating with manufacturers. Also, manufacturers have to meet standards within a certain timeframe ,and these standards too can push manufacturers to improve their designs on vehicles and the engines.

The main aspect of EPA's regulations I would like to focus on are the Engine Testing Regulations and more so Vehicle Testing Regulations. Original regulations for engine testing was implemented in 2002 ranging all kinds of engines from marine diesel, recreational to heavy-duty highway and non-road stationary and spark-ignition engines. The original regulation for Vehicle Testing Regulations where first adopted in 2011 which includes heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles. EPA's overall goal when it comes to emissions regulations and testing is to identify any engines that do not comply with the emission standards and to then make sure they are fixed by the manufacturer.

Now, there are different regulations for each state and some states do not have actually have any which I was quite surprised. In the Midwest, Michigan and Minnesota do not have any state regulations, while Wisconsin has specific ones.  For more information on vehicle emission inspection requirements for each state, you can read this. (http://www.semasan.com/page.asp?content=emissions&g=semaga.)

To go in more depth about Wisconsin's regulations, there is the Wisconsin Vehicle Inspection Program specifically dealing with emission issues in Southeastern WI. The DNR are the ones who set the emission for the WisconsinVIP (WVIP) ,and then the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) administers, notifying the vehicle owners when emission tests are required. Tests are required before registration renewal, after transfer of ownership or after registering in Wisconsin. For precise regulations, I have them listed below.

Vehicles require an emissions test based on:

• Vehicle location
  Vehicles customarily kept in one of the seven southeastern Wisconsin counties of Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha.
• Certain vehicles
  Autos and light trucks model years 1996 to 2006 that have a gross vehicle rating up to 8,500 pounds, not including diesel powered vehicles.
  Autos and light trucks model years 2007 and newer which have a gross vehicle rating up to 14,000 pounds, including diesel powered vehicles.
• Certain regular occasions
  After a transfer of ownership (transfer of plates or new plates issued).
  After first registering in Wisconsin.
  Before renewing registration (biennial testing, see below for details).
• Certain non-regular occasions
  When identified as having tampered emissions equipment.
  When identified with fraudulent vehicle location information.
  Government vehicles when designated by the department.

Exempt vehicles

• The following vehicles are exempt from emissions requirements (except for vehicles identified as having tampered emissions equipment):
  
  • Vehicles manufactured before 1996.
  • Vehicles manufactured after 1996 that are not OBDII-compliant (must be verified at a test station).
  • Diesel powered vehicles with a model year 2006 and older.
  • Motorcycles and mopeds.
  • Vehicles with a registered gross weight over 14,000 lbs.
  • Trucks with farm registration.
  • Electric powered vehicles.
  • Note: Hybrid vehicles (that use both electric power and gasoline or diesel fuel) are subject to emissions inspection.
  • Non-motorized vehicles.
  • School buses and human service vehicles with seating capacity of 16 or more people.
  • Vehicles registered as special design vehicles, Medal Of Honor and apportioned plates

Recently, the Volkswagen car company has been cheating their emissions tests by having a safety mode on the computer device, showing it looks better than what it actually does on the road.
( http://www.businessinsider.com, http://www.nytimes.com) Another problem pertaining to emissions testing is that some studies show that there are differences between the emissions of a car in an emissions tests and driving on the road.
There are debates whether the emissions tests are effective or not. In terms of improving air quality, I believe CAA, EPA, and the states are progressively trying to improve and implement additional programs that is a great effort to reducing air pollution, increase well being of our society and improving/protecting our environment.

Sources:
-http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/reduce-emissions/the-clean-air-act.html#.VjlJ4sKFPVK
-http://www.meca.org/regulation/the-us-environmental-protection-agencys-motor-vehicle-compliance-program
-http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Clean_Air_Act
-http://www.epa.gov/
-google.com/images
-http://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/vehicles/rnew-plts/emissiontest.aspx